Russia: Military Aircraft

Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Russian military aircraft approached British airspace in (a) each month in 2008 and (b) each year since 2006. (249732)

The following table details how frequently Quick Reaction Alert aircraft have been launched to identify Russian military aircraft approaching the NATO Air Policing Area for which the United Kingdom has responsibility, in each month of 2008.

*2008*
	Number
January	2
February	0
March	1
April	1
May	1
June	0
July	1
August	1
September	1
October	1
November	0
December	1

The following table details how frequently Quick Reaction Alert aircraft were launched to identify Russian military aircraft:

	Number
2006	1
2007	19
2008	10

All Russian military Aircraft have remained in International airspace and have not entered UK airspace.

Volume 486: debated on Tuesday 20 January 2009