To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any RAF personnel on secondment to BAE Systems in Saudi Arabia have (a) maintained Royal Saudi Air Force planes engaged in military operations in Yemen and (b) trained Royal Saudi Air Force personnel engaged in military operations in Yemen.
Answered on
11 March 2019
RAF personnel on secondment to BAE Systems in Saudi Arabia have provided routine engineering support for UK-supplied aircraft operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), including aircraft engaged in military operations in Yemen.
Seconded RAF personnel with BAE Systems have also provided generic training support to RSAF aircrew. The subsequent utilisation of trained RSAF aircrew is not monitored by or otherwise confirmed to the UK.
The above support does not involve the loading of weapons for operational sorties, nor does it include any involvement in the planning of operational sorties.