Qatar: Military Aid

(asked on 8th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much 12 Squadron RAF has cost the public purse in each year since 2018; and how much of those costs have been borne by the (a) Qatar Emiri Air Force and (b) Government of Qatar.


Answered by
James Heappey Portrait
James Heappey
This question was answered on 16th September 2020

12 Squadron has formed in three stages: Stand Up of the Squadron (July 2018), commencement of RAF flying operations (2019) and commencement of flying operations with Qatar Emiri Air Force (2020).

To date 12 Squadron costs from the RAF Operating budget have been £1.951 million in Financial Year (FY) 2018-2019, £9.959 million in FY 2019-2020 and £5.423 million in FY 2020-21 to end August 2020. I am withholding detailed information on the costs the Qatari Emiri Air Force have borne for 12 Squadron operations as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another State. However, I can confirm as part of the wider £6 billion Export Sale of Typhoon to Qatar, the Government of Qatar has funded 50% of the Squadron operating costs since the point at which QEAF pilots started flying on the Joint Squadron.

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