UK buys used Chinese 737s to convert into spy planes
MINISTERS are accused of risking national security by buying secondhand Chinese 737 airliners to convert into spy planes to save money.
The five E-7 Wedgetail aircraft costing £1.5billion have been ordered from Boeing to deliver the Airborne Early Warning and Control capability, from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.
Information gathered by E-7s would be used to keep watch on enemy fighter jets or warships from 2023.
But the Government has admitted that two of the five new RAF Wedgetail spy planes were previously operated by commercial airlines in China.
Labour MP Kevan Jones, a member of Parliament’s security and intelligence committee which has oversight of the Security Services, said: “The Ministry of Defence is purchasing military equipment from a state opposed to UK interests, in order to save money.
“There are serious concerns with regards to the security of the airframe, which may be defective or actively sabotaged prior to transfer.
“This decision by the Government represents a disturbing, and possibly historical, piece of misjudgment.”
Conservative chairman of the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee, Tom Tugendhat, added: “No one’s travelling and planes are cheap, so why are we buying spy planes from a country that’s spying on us?”
Ministry of Defence sources insisted that “the aircraft were sourced via a broker from the commercial market and at no time was the end destination of the aircraft released to the vendors or known to the market”. Jeremy Quin, defence minister, insisted that the two second-hand airframes will be stripped down and thoroughly checked for bugs.
Mr Quin said: “The security of our personnel are our highest priorities meaning that it must be demonstrated that second-hand airframes, regardless of origin, meet our requirements.”