JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for training of F35 Joint Strike fighter pilots; and if he will make a statement. [170554]
Mr Dunne, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given by my noble Friend, the Under-Secretary of State, Lord Astor of Hever, to the right hon. and noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead, in the other place, on 30 July 2013, Official Report, House of Lords, columns WA263-64.
Official Report, House of Lords, 30 July 2013, columns WA263-64
Asked by Lord West of Spithead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to establish an Operational Conversion Unit for the F35B aircraft; and, if so, of how many F35B aircraft it will consist.[HL1836]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have estimated the cost of establishing a Operational Conversion Unit for the F35B aircraft; if so, what is their estimate of (1) the total cost, (2) the initial start-up cost, and (3) annual running costs.[HL1837]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they estimate it will cost for each pilot to (1) train, and (2) convert to, fly the F35B aircraft.[HL1838]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered using the United States Operational Conversion Unit for the F35B aircraft; and, if so, how many aircraft the United Kingdom would have to provide.[HL1840]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered using the United States Operational Conversion Unit for the F35B aircraft; and, if so, what estimate they have made of (1) the annual costs, and (2) the start-up costs, of doing so. [HL1841]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered using the United States Operational Conversion Unit for the F35B aircraft; and, if so, how much they estimate it would cost the United Kingdom for each pilot to (1) train, and (2) convert, to fly the F35B aircraft.[HL1879]
Lord Astor of Hever: We intend to establish an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the F-35B aircraft. Approval for an OCU will be considered by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Investment Approvals Committee as part of the forthcoming main gate decision in autumn 2013.
The business case for the forthcoming main gate investment decision will consider a number of options for conducting conversion training on the F-35, including locating the OCU in the United States. The MoD does not publish details of options considered in business cases.
30 July 2013 : Column WA264
An estimate of the costs associated with establishing and sustaining an OCU for the F-35B has been made. These costs will be presented within the main gate business case. The MOD does not publish cost estimates as to do so would undermine its commercial position.
The numbers of F-35B aircraft within the OCU will vary over time dependent on the operational output required for the UK Lightning II force.