Archive

1984 Mar 2 - 1984 Dec 31
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/1186
Defence (Defence sales) (Part 4)

Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2014 Jan 3
Classification: Confidential
Page count: 454
Any docs withheld? 2

PREM19/1186 - download whole file (PDF, 81.35 MB)

Selections from this file

Showing items 1 - 20 of 51

Per page:
Date Valuesort descending Title
84 Sep 4 Tu Major Defence: Heseltine letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer ("Mobile Subscriber Equipment") [problems Plessey face in bidding for US Army battlefield communications system ... "The potential size of the contract is enormous ... an MOD scheme, as proposed by Plessey, under which we would agree to buy from them, at predetermined rates, all the dollars they received under the contract"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 May 16 We Major Defence: Heseltine PS letter to Howe PS ("Sale of Tornado to Saudi Arabia") [need for ongoing confidentiality, with deal nearly clinched] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Feb 20 Mo Major Defence: Prime Minister González letter to MT ('RAPIER' system: British Aerospace consortium with Spanish industry) [four competing bids from UK, US, West Germany/France and Italy: "we hope to be able to make a final decision soon"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 May 14 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 ("Helicopters for RAN Frigates: support for Westlands") ["Mr Hayden's visit to London provides an excellent opportunity to give the Westlands case timely support"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Jan 16 Mo Major Defence: MT letter to Prime Minister González ('RAPIER' system: British Aerospace consortium with Spanish industry) ["I know that Michael Heseltine has written very recently to Sr Narcis Serra... But I wish to add my own support to the British Aerospace proposals"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Oct 3 We Major Defence: Tebbit PS letter to No.10 ("Hawk Order") [press release: "an American gloss on what has properly in this country been represented as a considerable British achievement"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 19 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Sale of Tornado and Hawk to Saudi Arabia") [report on visit to Saudi Arabia/talks with King Fahd & Prince Sultan; criticism of Saudi royal family in British press; "I do not believe that the deal is necessarily lost, but I am not optimistic about the outcome"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 May 11 Fr Major Defence: Chancellor of the Exchequer minute to Howe ("Western European Union (WEU)") ["It is difficult to believe that yet another forum is needed to discuss defence matters"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Jun 6 We Major Defence: Heseltine minute to Howe ("Libya - current Defence sales business") [results of review undertaken "with the aim of terminating any contracts... of potential benefit to terrorist activity"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Dec 16 Su Major Defence: UKE Jedda telegram to FCO ("Call by Prince Bandar bin Sultan on the Prime Minister") ["this meeting... could play a crucial role in recovering our chances on Tornado.... I hope that... [MT] can show... that we recognize that the main Saudi external preoccupation... [is] the Arab-Israel problem... [and the] need for the European Community to work on the Americans"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Dec 21 Fr Major Defence: Chancellor of the Exchequer PS letter to No.10 ("Tornados for Turkey") [cover note for UKE Ankara telegram indicating that the Turkish army does not have the de facto autonomy over military expenditure that British Aerospace believes it to have] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 12 Mo Major Defence: Adam Butler PS letter to No.10 ("Overhaul Contract for Phantom Engines") [MT approves awarding the contract to Greece following resolution of the question over sale of Tornado to Turkey] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Dec 21 Fr Major Defence: FCO telegram 2180 to UKE Washington (1800Z) ("Saudi Arabia: Tornado") [need to show Saudis that UK emphasising concern to US government about Arab/Israeli dispute, if Tornado deal to be saved; Howe advising MT message to King Fahd, and Ambassador Wright call Prince Bandar after MT talks with Reagan] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Nov 21 We Major Defence: MT letter to President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies Ltd (sale of Tornado to Turkey) [credit support: "we have concluded that the financial risks for the Government are unacceptably high"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Sep 26 We Major Defence: Tebbit minute to MT ("Tornados for Turkey") [export credit support: arguments for and against HMG support] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Mar 27 Tu Major Defence: No.10 Policy Unit minute to MT ("Export credit for Pakistan") ["Given Pakistan's financial position, this proposal comes very close to aid, in military form. Pakistan is a poor risk... The prime object of exporting is to get paid, not to win prestige, or cement friendships"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Mar 26 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 ("Rapier") [MT "has... agreed... to send a message to Sr Moran on the subject of Gibraltar. In light of this... we do not envisage any further action at the moment"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Dec 10 Mo Major Defence: No.10 minute to MT ("Frigates for Pakistan") ["The problem of credit... has re-emerged, with the Pakistanis pressing us to find an extra £30 million... MOD and the FCO want to [comply]... DTI... are prepared to go along... Treasury are firmly opposed"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Jul 5 Th Major Defence: No.10 minute to MT ("Libya - current Defence sales business") [Marconi contract for supply of Martello Surveillance Radars: "should be allowed to go ahead only if... France and Italy would not supply... if we cancelled the contract"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Aug 29 We Major Defence: MT letter to President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies Ltd (sale of Tornado aircraft to Turkey) ["in terms of our risk exposure... It will need careful consideration to determine where the balance of national advantage lies"] [declassified Jan 2014]