Select Committee on Defence Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witnesses (Questions 380 - 384)

WEDNESDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2004

GENERAL SIR MIKE JACKSON KCB CBE DSO ADC GEN

  Q380  Mr Cran: Yes.

  General Sir Mike Jackson: That is set against an absolute ideal whereby for every scenario we have, every helicopter would be there in its full theoretical quantity. If you then go to defence planning assumptions and test it, you get a slightly different answer and lower, taking a sensible degree of risk, that you are not going to be doing everything all at once, and it comes out to about 20 per cent. So we need to be careful with that number; it is somewhat idealistic. As to the future programme, I have said all I can usefully say to you. I am not trying to dodge the issue.

  Q381  Mr Cran: Of course not.

  General Sir Mike Jackson: You really would be better off with the procurement side.

  Q382  Mr Cran: I can see the point entirely. When the Chief of the Air Staff came before us, he said that we have three champions for the place of the helicopter, and we know who those three are. Is there not a slight possibility of confusion in all of this? I have discovered in my life that if you have three people doing the same thing, there are problems. Just talk me through this as you see it.

  General Sir Mike Jackson: Part of this is historical legacy, as I am sure everybody knows, in that the Army has only ever flown relatively small battlefield helicopters closely integrated into a tactical manoeuvre. You had perhaps better ask the First Sea Lord about the maritime side of helicopter life, but it is a great force multiplier when you have a helicopter on the back of a frigate, for example, in a multi-role. The fact that the Royal Air Force commenced flying with medium-weight helicopters is a matter of history. I think the ownership argument, if that is what you are on, Sir, is probably a bit stale and sterile. The advent of the joint helicopter command was to by-pass this, as I say, rather sterile argument. The important thing is the capability we get out of them and the command control which allows those aircraft to be used to their best effect, and in my last job as Commander-in-Chief, Land, the joint helicopter command were under my command and it has been a very considerable success indeed.

  Q383  Mr Cran: So you, as the Chief of the General Staff, do not see any possibility of confusion, of lack of clear accountability and so on and so forth? You are perfectly happy?

  General Sir Mike Jackson: I have been on operations and exercised with support helicopters with joint helicopter force a great deal and I have never found them wanting in any way; on the contrary, great support, no pun intended.

  Q384  Chairman: Thank you very much. We are all champions, 11 of us, of the regimental system.

  General Sir Mike Jackson: So am I, Chairman, but it is a question of which dimension we have.

  Chairman: There is no confusion at all, General! Thank you very much, it is appreciated.





 
previous page contents

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2004
Prepared 22 December 2004