House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for Tuesday 12 November 2013
Aircraft Carriers
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what design features are incorporated into the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers to allow for shipborne rolling vertical landing. [174799]
Mr Dunne: The principal elements of the shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) system, to be incorporated into the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, include a visual landing aid system, glide path cameras and software modifications to the information displays in the aft island’s flying control centre.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers to conduct shipborne rolling vertical landing operations with the Joint Strike Fighter in moderate to heavy seas. [174800]
Mr Dunne: The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers will be able to conduct shipborne rolling vertical landings in a wide range of environmental conditions, including moderate to heavy sea states.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of people required to maintain the second proposed aircraft carrier whilst it is baseported; and what estimate he has made of such number if that carrier is mothballed. [174936]
Mr Dunne: The Queen Elizabeth (QE) Class Support Development Phase is expected to commence later in 2013, and will consider a range of options to produce a detailed support proposal, including manpower requirements, for approval around the middle of this decade. The initial capability support solution will be in place for the arrival of the first QE Class carrier, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, in early 2017. Both QE class carriers will be baseported in Portsmouth but a decision on the employment of the second carrier will be taken at the next Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015.
Armed Forces: Vehicles
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all A & B vehicles back-loaded through the reverse supply chain to (a) RAF Warminster, (b) RAF Lyneham, (c) Ashchurch, (d) Donnington and (e) Warminster are held in short-term storage to comply with AESP 2300-A-401-031; and if he will make a statement. [174572]
Mr Dunne: The Army Equipment Support Publication 2300-A-401-013 defines the short-term storage procedures and minimum standards for the storage, maintenance, inspection and monitoring of automotive vehicles, for periods which are not to exceed 12 months. All A, B, and Protected Mobility vehicles returning from Operation Herrick are held in short term storage at either the Herrick Exchange Point at Ministry of Defence Lyneham or at Ashchurch in accordance with Army Equipment Support Publication 2300-A-401-013. No vehicles have been back-loaded through the reverse supply chain for short-term storage to Donnington or Warminster, although some vehicles held at MOD Lyneham may be sent to Warminster for repair and maintenance before being issued to units or returned to storage.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many A and B vehicles were back-loaded through the reverse supply chain to (a) RAF Warminster, (b) RAF Lyneham, (c) Ashchurch, (d) Donnington and (e) Warminster from Afghanistan in 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement. [174573]
Mr Dunne: The reverse supply chain has back-loaded the following vehicles from Afghanistan in 2012:
29 A vehicles and 93 B vehicles to Ashchurch.
The reverse supply chain has back-loaded the following vehicles from Afghanistan in 2013:
20 A vehicles, 146 B vehicles and 167 protected mobility vehicles to Lyneham.
Two A vehicles and 72 B vehicles to Ashchurch.
No vehicles have been back-loaded through the reverse supply chain to Donnington or Warminster.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much individual covered vehicle storage space is available at (a) RAF Warminster, (b) RAF L