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Collocation of Attack Helicopters

Following the review of the attack helicopter (AH) fielding plan, which sets out how the aircraft and its aircrew are organised and made ready for operations, to determine how best to deliver the Apache attack helicopter capability to the front line, within existing resources, I can today confirm our plans to locate all front-line Apache attack helicopter at Wattisham. Currently, the front-line Apache Regiments are based at Dishforth in Yorkshire and Wattisham in Suffolk, where the depth maintenance for all Apaches is undertaken. It has been identified that instead of the front-line Apache squadrons being based at two different locations, it would be more effective and efficient to collocate all front-line Apaches at Wattisham. This will be achieved by swapping two Apache Squadrons from Dishforth (656 Squadron and 664 Squadron Army Air Corps) with two Lynx helicopter squadrons from Wattisham (659 Squadron and 669 Squadron Army Air Corps). The move is expected to occur between June and September 2007. Collocation of all front-line AH at Wattisham will enable the technical expertise, logistic supply and maintenance of the aircraft to be managed more effectively, thereby improving aircraft availability. This, in turn, will lead to improvements in delivering AH capability to the front line. Collocation of three Lynx squadrons at Dishforth will yield similar benefits. Dishforth will revert to a similar disposition of aircraft that it possessed prior to the introduction of Apache. It is not thought that the exchange of squadrons will materially change the environmental impact of training at Wattisham or Dishforth. It will also have no impact on civilian jobs. The existing infrastructure support arrangements at both sites will remain as they are now. The move will affect military personnel to the extent that those posts currently located within the affected squadrons will be relocated. This means that some personnel will transfer between the two sites, although there will be no material impact on overall service personnel numbers at either site. The interest of our military personnel and their families are very important to us and as such, the moves will be managed to ensure minimal impact on them. Most of the relocation process will take place within the normal cycle of postings. All affected personnel are being kept fully informed of the move. I have written to the MPs in whose constituency the move will impact. Finally, we are reviewing, under Programme Belvedere, our long-term requirements for military helicopter bases in the UK. No decisions have yet been made on this. Further announcements will be made to the House once the programme concludes, to inform on its findings.