“I took the opportunity at an All Party Group for the RAF meeting with Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton to raise the dual issue of a replacement for the aging Hercules C130K fleet and the closure of RAF Lyneham,” said North Wiltshire MP James Gray this morning.

“The Air Chief Marshal was plainly concerned that the current RAF heavy lift planes, the C17s, are being massively overused at the moment, and seemed doubtful that their planned replacement, the A400M, would be ready in good time to replace the Hercules. I strongly advanced the argument that the A400M should be cancelled in favour of a larger C17 /  Hercules fleet, which would then increase the likelihood of RAF Lyneham being saved.”

“I also raised the matter of the risks of putting all of our transport fleet into one runway at RAF Brize Norton. The Chief of the Air Staff’s answer, that in the event of the runway at Brize Norton being closed, we could consider using an emergency runway at Bournemouth, seems to me to be wholly unsatisfactory.”

“I will continue to advance the argument that Lyneham and Brize Norton together, with a C130 / C17 fleet, is best placed to serve the Nation’s air transport needs.”