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Nimrod Aircraft

Volume 460: debated on Friday 18 May 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average logged daily serviceability of the Nimrod fleet was in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. (132979)

Data are not collected on the average logged daily serviceability of the Nimrod fleet.

The following table shows the annual planned flying hours against the annual achieved flying hours between the financial years 1997-98 and 2006-07. The Nimrod fleet includes the Nimrod MR2 and the Nimrod R1 aircraft and the following table is the combined totals for both fleets.

align="left" valign="bottom" Financial year

Total annual planned flying hours

Total annual achieved flying hours

2006-07

8,732

8,012

2005-06

7,932

9,445

2004-05

10,514

12,118

2003-04

12,112

12,115

2002-03

11,830

11,707

2001-02

12,495

12,578

2000-01

12,265

11,941

1999-2000

12,935

12,859

1998-99

13,313

12,728

1997-98

13,677

13,243

The actual flown statistics for FY2006-07 are lower than the planned because of the loss of Nimrod XV230 on 2 September 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to refit the Nimrod MR2 R1 aircraft's wing fuel tanks with foam to prevent explosions. (134921)

We keep under review the requirement for defensive aids, including explosion suppressant foam, in all our aircraft deployed on operations including the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft.