Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Dunne and Harriett Baldwin

Monday 2nd September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)]

1. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s heavy-lift helicopter capability.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Philip Dunne)]

Over the next 10 years, the Ministry of Defence will spend over £12 billion to ensure our helicopter capability remains up to date. The Chinook remains our heavy-lift helicopter. We currently have a fleet of 46 aircraft—the second largest fleet in the world—with 14 new aircraft coming into service from 2014, bringing the total to 60. We regularly review the requirement for all of our helicopter capability.

[Harriett Baldwin]

I thank the Minister for that answer. What steps have been taken to develop a naval capability for the Chinook helicopter?

[Mr Dunne]

Chinooks, along with other helicopters, already regularly operate from royal naval vessels. Some specific training is needed to qualify crews to enable them to operate from ships, but no specific engineering work is required for Chinooks to embark on or fly from ships, so no marinisation programme is needed. But as Chinooks cannot fit in the hangar on any of our existing vessels, they embark for specific operations or exercises rather than for long deployments.