To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters there are in the helicopter fleet of the UK armed services; how many of them are due to be taken out of service by (a) 2015 and (b) 2020; and if he will make a statement. (227036)

There are 594 aircraft in the military helicopter fleet, excluding helicopters which the Ministry of Defence operates but does not own. Given that the majority of the helicopters in our current fleets have out of service dates prior to 2015, and that investment decisions are yet to be taken regarding the extension of the service life of existing airframes and the procurement of new helicopters, it is not possible to predict with any certainty the number and type of helicopters which will be in service in 2015 or 2020.