Skip to main content

Defence

Volume 492: debated on Thursday 14 May 2009

Military Aircraft

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the average number of (a) planned and (b) actual flying hours for aircraft was in each year since 2001; (216235)

(2) what the average number of (a) planned and (b) actual flying hours for the (i) Harrier GR7, (ii) Harrier GR9, (iii) Tornado GR4, (iv) Tornado F3 and (v) Typhoon aircraft was in each year since 2001.

[Official Report, 10 July 2008, Vol. 478, c. 1748-1750W.]

Letter of correction from Bob Ainsworth:

Errors have been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 10 July 2008. In compiling the table the actual flying hours for the Typhoon fleet were understated because the data provided did not include the hours flown by 17 Squadron Operational Evaluation Unit.

The correct answer should have been:

There is no requirement to hold data on average flying hours. The planned and actual flying hours for fixed wing aircraft from all three services in each year since 2001 are broken down as follows:

Financial year

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

Jaguar

Planned

12,543

12,996

13,260

11,247

9,156

3,576

0

Actual

11,877

12,007

11,440

10,348

7,185

3,512

1500

Sea Harrier

Planned

5,633

6,219

6,219

4,491

1,980

2Out of service

Out of service

Actual

4,843

5,563

5,347

3,506

1,404

2Out of service

Out of service

Harrier T8

Planned

925

925

925

925

463

2Out of service

Out of service

Actual

682

595

656

592

338

2Out of service

Out of service

Harrier GR7/GR9/T10/T12

Planned

315,282

314,809

315,424

315,024

313,890

315,424

314,550

Harrier GR 7

Actual

12,073

12,079

10,527

11,768

11,110

413,010

413,231

Harrier GR 9

Actual

Not in service

Not in service

Not in service

Not in service

475

4

4

Harrier Tl0/T12

Actual

5n/a

5n/a

5n/a

1,358

1,482

4

4

Tornado F3

Planned

24,193

23,022

26,406

22,026

18,805

17,114

13,704

Actual

20,922

21,515

23,231

20,066

17,613

14,245

11,850

Tornado GR1/4

Planned

26,366

326,058

29,044

28,600

26,438

28,260

28,279

Actual

22,497

325,908

29,017

26,766

28,071

30,518

26,984

Typhoon

Planned

Not in service

399

580

1,260

3,380

8,438

11,700

Actual

Not in service

Not in service

Not in service

345

2,160

5,735

9,656

Tristar

Planned

9,561

9,561

9,561

10,561

11,191

11,561

11,561

Actual

10,824

10,603

8,879

8,657

7,693

8,398

9,008

VC10

Planned

11,550

11,550

11,550

10,550

9,920

9,550

9,550

Actual

12,345

11,413

13,145

10,773

11,814

10,452

9,670

Bae 125

Planned

2,310

2,310

2,310

2,310

2,310

2,310

2,310

Actual

2,403

2,526

2,553

2,414

2,393

2,391

2,636

Bae 146

Planned

1,080

1,080

1,200

1,200

1,200

1,200

1,200

Actual

1,195

1,052

791

827

1,026

1,303

1,085

Hercules C1/3/4/5

Planned

36,709

37,458

37,458

34,958

34,958

34,958

34,958

Actual

39,834

39,871

35,173

30,640

27,906

28,836

27,647

C17A

Planned

3,000

3,000

4,000

5,800

5,800

5,800

5,800

Actual

3,377

5,745

5,592

5,727

6,375

7,087

6,921

Jetstream T2/T3

Planned

4,675

4,675

4,875

4,875

4,875

4,875

4,875

Actual

3,752

3,865

4,129

4,402

4,085

4,339

4,583

Jetstream Tl

Planned

5,851

5,854

5,867

6Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Actual

4,678

4,862

3,667

6Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Canberra T4 and PR9

Planned

1,326

1,803

1,989

1,989

1,989

7Out of service

Out of service

Actual

1,255

1,239

1,083

1,084

889

7Not available

Out of service

Islander AL1

Planned

8n/a

8n/a

8n/a

2,759

2,760

2,760

2,760

Actual

2,228

2,302

2,396

2,112

1,908

1,857

1,621

Islander CC2

Planned

800

800

800

1,200

1,600

1,600

1,600

Actual

945

890

952

908

1,563

1,609

1,519

Nimrod MR2

Planned

10,689

10,580

10,580

9,980

8,000

8,000

8,000

Actual

11,042

10,387

10,759

10,898

8,060

6,882

6,634

Nimrod R1

Planned

1,743

1,250

1,915

1,915

1,915

1,915

1,915

Actual

1,536

1,302

1,356

1,220

1,385

1,160

1,415

Sentry AEW1

Planned

4,446

4,134

4,134

4,586

4,898

5,210

4,785

Actual

5,274

6,077

3,955

3,285

3,561

3,247

3,000

Sentinel R1

Planned

Not in service

Not in service

Not in service

100

1,600

2,400

1,835

Actual

Not in service

Not in service

Not in service

Not in service

Not in service

16

625

Dominie

Planned

5,448

5,425

5,275

5,275

4,650

4,150

4,150

Actual

4,353

4,445

4,593

4,199

4,048

3,527

3,283

Hawk

Planned

31,745

32,382

32,362

27,022

25,997

28,278

22,480

Actual

26,562

27,341

29,148

25,785

25,340

24,320

22,681

Tucano

Planned

25,706

25,578

25,248

16,500

14,660

16,385

14,855

Actual

19,892

21,389

22,154

16,166

12,608

11,970

12,939

Bulldog

Planned

n/a

9Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Actual

403

9Outof service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

Out of service

1 Jaguar withdrawn from service August 2007.

2 Sea Harrier and Harrier T8 were withdrawn from service in 2006.

3 Harrier planned Figures are combined for Harrier GR7, GJA9 and Tl0/2.

4 Harrier actual Figures FY 06-07 and FY 07-08 are the combined totals for all Harrier variants GR7, GR9, T10/12.

5 Harrier T10/12 figures before FY 04-05 are no longer available.

6 Jetstream Tl was withdrawn from service in 2004-05.

7 Canberra PR9 and T4 were withdrawn from service by 2006.

8 Islander AL1 planned figures are not available before FY 2004-05.

9 Bulldog was withdrawn from service in 2002.