Written question asked by James Gray (Conservative) on Wednesday, 22 October 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 27 October 2008. It was answered by Bob Ainsworth (Labour) on Monday, 27 October 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Hercules Aircraft: Safety

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons foam suppressant was not fitted to the wing-tanks of Hercules XL 179 which was shot down by enemy fire over Baghdad in 2005.

Answer: Explosion suppressant foam (ESF) was not fitted to the wing tanks of Hercules XV 179 in 2002 because it was not judged to be a sufficiently high priority at that time in relation to the assessed threat and emphasis was instead placed on implementing a range of other protective measures. The loss of XV179 showed that judgment was incorrect in relation to the threats which subsequently existed in 2005.The MOD has spent over £150 million on urgent operational requirements for the Hercules fleet since 2001, including enhanced defensive aids suites and flight deck armour. Furthermore, all Hercules aircraft operating in Iraq or Afghanistan are now fitted with ESF.

Secondary information