Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to counter open-source tracking of RAF aircraft.

Safety remains paramount. Most military aircraft are fitted with civil standard Mode S Transponders. Mode S transponders are primarily required by Air Traffic Control centres and for aircraft to identify each other as a key element of air-to-air collision avoidance technology. Open-source tracking is a bi-product of that safety critical technology.

Many military aircraft with an operational role also have NATO Mode 5 military standard Transponders. Popular flight tracking websites track aircraft operating Mode S; they cannot track aircraft operating NATO Mode 5. When undertaking operations which are segregated from civil air traffic, NATO Mode 5 transponders can be utilised and Mode S switched off. In addition, many of our military aircraft are fitted with appropriate defensive aids countermeasures and other force protection measures can be employed if deemed necessary.

When operating alongside civil air traffic, military aircraft are mandated to operate Mode S in order to comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation communications, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management systems guidelines. The civilian air safety working processes, hailed as best-practice, are applicable to military aircraft, including all NATO partners.