RAF spy jet made from Chinese airliner
A NEW RAF spy plane is to be built from a former Chinese airliner.
The move will raise fears Beijing’s secret service could have hidden bugs in the components.
Defence chiefs ordered five E-7 Wedgetails from US firm Boeing last year in a £1.5billion deal.
But to speed up development, they agreed that the fuselages of the first two would be made from two secondhand Boeing 737 commercial airliners, one of which was sourced from China.
It has also emerged the size of the fleet looks set to be cut to three aircraft in a defence review.
The details emerged when Labour MP and former defence minister Kevan Jones raised the issue in Parliament.
The North Durham MP told us: “Wedgetail is one of our most secret assets and is vital to national security. The idea that we are using a second-hand Chinese airliner raises huge alarm bells.
“Ministers as a matter of urgency must take action to stop this.”
The Ministry of Defence refused to comment on which country had sold the airliner to Britain.
A spokesman added: “Using existing airframes is commonplace and has no impact on the quality or capability of the aircraft.
“This sensible, cost- effective approach will allow the Wedgetail to enter more quickly.”
MI5 head Ken McCallum has accused China of trying to steal UK secrets and weaken democracy.
Wedgetails will provide early warning of attacks on the UK and will be able to collect huge amounts of data from enemy communications systems.
Its crew of 12 acts as a flying control room by coordinating RAF jets and Royal Navy warships.
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