Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary
of State to Mr Julian Brazier MP (22 June 2000)
I undertook to write to you in my answer to
your Paliamentary Question of 19 May (Official Report, column
290W) which asked if I would list the armoured vehicles and helicopters
in service and shortly to enter service in the Armed Forces which
the C-17, A400M and C-130J can carry; and in the case of helicopters
if I could specify whether carriage required partial dismantling.
The information is attached in the form of two
tables: one covering helicopters and the other covering armoured
vehicles. Whilst I hope you find this information helpful, I would
like to make it clear once more that we regard both the C-17 and
the A400M as extremely capable aircraft and able to offer a significant
enhancement to our airlift capabilities in the short and longer
term respectively. We have always been open about the fact that
the A400M is not able to carry several large pieces of equipment
such as the Challenger II Main Battle Tank and the AS 90 self-propelled
howitzer, but we have been equally clear that the analysis undertaken
in the Strategic Defence Review demonstrated that we have no requirement
to carry such equipment by air. It is anticipated that such equipment
would be transported by sea and, as we have announced, we are
seeking to improve our sealift capabilities to better support
the Joint Rapid Reaction Force.
| | C-17
| A400M | C-130J
|
| | Can be carried?
| Can be carried? | Can be carried?
|
| Saxon | Yes
| Yes | No
|
| Scimitar | Yes
| Yes | Yes
|
| Spartan | Yes
| Yes | Yes
|
| Tracer | Yes
| Yes | No
|
| Tracked HVM Stormer | Yes
| Yes | Yes
|
| AS90 | Yes
| No[7]
| No |
| Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers | Yes
| No | No
|
| Challenger II | Yes
| No | No
|
| Challenger Armoured Recovery Vehicle | Yes
| No | No
|
| Multiple Launch Rocket System | Yes
| Yes | No
|
| Warrior | Yes
| Yes | No
|
| Warrior Recovery Vehicle | Yes
| Yes | No
|
| Multi Role Armoured Vehicle | Yes
| Yes | No
|
| AFV 430 Series | Yes
| Yes | Yes
|
| Terrier | Yes
| Yes | No
|
| Armoured Vehicle Bridge Launcher | Yes
| No | No
|
| | C-17
| A400M | C-130J
|
| Helicopters | Can be carried?
| Breakdown needed? | Can be carried?
| Breakdown needed? | Can be carried?
| Breakdown needed? |
| EH101[8]
| No | N/A
| No | N/A
| No | N/A
|
| Sea King | Yes
| Yes | No
| N/A | No
| N/A |
| Chinook Mk3 | Yes
| Yes | No
| N/A | No
| N/A |
| Chinook Mk2 | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes | No
| N/A |
| Puma | Yes |
Yes | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes |
| Gazelle | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes |
| Agust 02109 | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes |
| Lynx | Yes |
Yes | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes |
| Bell 212 | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes |
| WAH-64 | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes | Yes
| Yes |
7
AS90 can be moved in three loads in A400M if its turret is removed.
This is not considered to be a realistic option in a rapid deployment
due to the time penalty and the requirement for manpower and engineering
equipment. Back
8
The time required to breakdown and reassemble the aircraft vaies
from a couple of hours to several days. EH101 could be stripped
down sufficiently to be carried in a C-17 but this is not considered
to be a realistic option in a rapid deployment due to the time
penalty and the requirement for manpower and engineering equipment. Back
| 
