Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of each Lightning II his Department has ordered to date. [201930]
Mr Dunne, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (including Defence Exports): The Lightning II aircraft are being procured incrementally. To date the UK has ordered four F-35 B aircraft, three of which have been delivered. The approved cost for the production of the four aircraft, including initial spares provision, risk, concurrency, necessary programme and support arrangements, long lead items and our contribution to the composite share ratio for the next batch of aircraft is £999 million, as detailed in the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2013.