Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to UK Defence in Numbers, published by his Department in August 2015, how many of the 125 Tornado Combat aircraft referred to in that document are combat ready.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Defence in Numbers booklet is a snap shot of the UK’s Defence capability and how we are spending the fifth largest Defence budget in the world. As well as giving details on civilian and personnel numbers and current operations, it also includes a list of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment holdings, the vast majority of which are in service and deployable. We will continue to review the Defence in Numbers booklet to ensure that it best reflects the breadth of defence equipment.

The pieces of equipment listed in the Defence in Numbers booklet that are not capable for use on the front-line are: Jet provost aircraft, BAE-125 aircraft, Wessex helicopters, Challenger 1 battle tanks, FH70 Towed Howitzers and Chieftain Armoured Vehicles. These platforms are used in either a training or ceremonial capacity.

Currently 90 Tornado aircraft remain in the operational fleet and are, or could be, returned to combat ready status; this number includes aircraft undergoing periodic deep maintenance and modification which are not immediately available for operational use.