Many indications have been given in recent months of the gigantic size of the Royal Air Force expansion programme and they find Justification in the detailed statement made to the House of Commons by Lieut-Col. A. J. Muirhead, Under-Secretary of State for Air. He pointed out that although the air estimates totalling -£103,000,000 are large and represent fu increase of 25 per cent, on the previous estimates there were no new features. Behind the expenditure of this huge sum of money was 4 continuance of a policy of expansion already decided upon, and represented consistent. progress in which recourse to technical and en-in gineering assistance from other countries, the United States, especially, was had in order to bring the programme to fruition, Judging by the figures mentioned, it Is suggested that the increase in the programme really represents an increase beyond that originally planned for the Under-Secretary announced that the first Sagseasees ge S208: objective of 1,500 first-line alreratt by March, 1997, had been reached and the next objective another 1,750 first-line machines by March, 1990, was being approached bringing the RAF. to a strength comparable, if not superior, to any other national force, which is the guiding principle of the new expansion scheme. The Under-Secretary's statement described various technical details of new machines and efforts produce improved types including the attainment of a possible speed of 500 miles an hour, but he refrained from any political references because of the Prime Minister's recent announcement that in view of the recent Euro-'Dean developments Britain's re-armament programme would be reviewed. Nevertheless, the progress made since the Government's decision to build to the limit is satisfactorily reflected in the report to the House,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.