Written question asked by Nia Griffith (Labour) on Monday, 3 September 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 5 September 2018. It was answered by Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) on Monday, 10 September 2018 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

F-35 Aircraft

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 16 of his Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18, what infrastructure work is being carried out at RAF Marham to support the arrival of the F-35s; what the timetable is for the completion of that work; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of that work.

Answer: Significant infrastructure work is being undertaken at RAF Marham to support the F-35, including the development of new squadron, training and maintenance facilities and the refurbishment of much of the airfield operating surfaces. A significant amount of this work was completed in preparation for the arrival of the first Lightning F35-B aircraft in June 2018. The majority of the remaining work at RAF Marham will be completed later this year and the final element is scheduled for completion in 2023. The estimated cost for this work is £550 million.

Secondary information