Strage di Ustica Il ministro della difesa inglese 1998

MRS M I FIELD, SECRETARIAT (AIR STAFF)2, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, ROOM 8247 MAIN BUILDING, WHITEHALL, LONDON SW1A 2HB TELEPHONE (DIRECT DIAL) 0171 218 7065 (SWITCHBOARD) 0171 218 9000 (FAX) 0171 218 2680 MR S WATKIN DEPUTY HEAD OF THE UKCA YOUR REFERENCE HOME OFFICE ORGANISED AND INTERNATIONAL CRIME DIRECTORATE OUR REFERENCE JUDICIAL COOPERATION UNIT D/SEC(AS)/62/3/1/2 50 QUEEN ANN'ES GATE DATE LONDON SW1H 9AT 13.07.98 ITALIAN REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE LOSS OF A DC9 CIVIL AIRCRAFT OFF THE ISLAND OF USTICA (TYRRHENIAN SEA) JUNE 1980 FURTHER TO MISS PHILPOTT'S LETTER OF 11 JUNE, I AM NOW ABLE TO REPLY SUBSTANTIVELY TO YOUR LETTER OF 11 MARCH. I AM SORRY IT HAS TAKEN LONGER THAN WE HAD HOPED TO REACH THIS STAGE; YOU WILL, I AM SURE, APPRECIATE THAT THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH REQUIRED AND THAT IT WAS COMPLICATED BY THE LENGTH OF TIME WHICH HAS ELAPSED SINCE THE ACCIDENT. THE RESULTS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S RESEARCH ARE REPRODUCED IN THE TABLE ATTACHED AT ANNEX A. THIS LISTS ALL KNOWN RAF DEPLOYMENTS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN (INCLUDING GIBRALTAR) AND AIRCRAFT BELIEVED TO BE TRANSITING THE MEDITERRANEAN ON OR AROUND 27.06.80. I SHOULD STRESS THAT THE TABLE HAS BEEN COMPILED FROM THOSE CONTEMPORARY RECORDS WHICH SURVIVE AND WE CANNOT THEREFORE GUARANTEE THAT IT IS COMPLETE. THE RESEARCH IS FAR FROM CONCLUSIVE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WITH ANY CERTAINTY WHETHER ANY OF THE TRACKS IDENTIFIED BY NATO CORRELATE WITH ANY OF THE MOVEMENTS LISTED AT ANNEX A. NOR IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAY DEFINITIVELY, FOR SOME OF THE SERIALS, THAT THEY DO NOT. AS A RESULT, I HAVE PROVIDED A SHORT COMMENTARY AT ANNEX B WHICH I HOPE WILL ASSIST THE ITALIANS IN INTERPRETING THE DATA. THE EVIDENCE INSOFAR AS ROYAL NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER ACTIVITIES IS CONCERNED IS MUCH MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE ITALIAN STATEMENT THAT THE ROYAL NAVY POSSESSED OPERATIONAL FIXED WING AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN JUNE 1980 IS INCORRECT. TRADITIONAL FIXED WING NAVAL AVIATION ENDED WHEN HMS ARK ROYAL PAID OFF INTO RESERVE IN LATE 1978. HMS INVINCIBLE, THE FIRST OF THE NEW GENERATION OF CARRIERS HAD ONLY JUST BEEN COMMISSIONED AND WAS CARRYING OUT BASIC TRIALS AND TRAINING. SHE ARRIVED IN LISBON ON 23.06.80, AND SAILED FOR HOME ON 27 JUNE. SHE HAD NO AIRCRAFT EMBARKED AND WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE AREA IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST. THE ONLY OTHER CARRIERS IN THE FLET WERE HMS BULWARK AND HERMES, BOTH OF WHICH WERE IN PORTSMOUTH ON THE DAY IN QUESTION. I DO NOT THINK THAT, IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS ANY MORE WE CAN DO TO ASSIST. ANNEX B TO D/SEC(AS)/62/3/1/2 DATED 13.07.98 MOD COMMENTARY ON THE TABLE LISTING RAF MOVEMENTS OVER THE MEDITERRANEAN ON OR AROUND 27.06.80 * WE BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING SERIALS CAN BE DISREGARDED: - NOS. 3, 4, 8 AND 13: TRANSITS FLIGHTS UNLIKELY (BECAUSE OF POINT OF ORIGIN AND ARRIVAL) TO HAVE OVERFLOWN THE TYRRHENIAN SEA. * NOS. 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 25: AIRCRAFT CONCERNED ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. * NO. 1: THE DATE FOR THIS FLIGHT IS NOT RECORDED. WE DO KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THE AIRCRFAT MADE A TWO-NIGHT STOPOVER AT VILLAFRANCA SOMETIME IN JUNE ON THEIR WAY TO BRINDISI. IT MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR THE ITALIANS TO ESTABLISH FROM ITALIAN RECORDS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT THE TWO LOCATIONS. * NO. 2: DEPARTED THE UK FOR RAF AKROTIRI (CYPRUS) ON 26 JUNE AND DID NOT RETURN UNTIL 1 JUL. THE AIRCRAFT STAGED THROUGH NAPLES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, BUT ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DATES AND TIMES ARE NOT KNOWN. * NO. 6: THESE AIRCRAFT WERE AT RAF AKROTIRI, CYPRUS, ON ARMAMENTS PRACTICE CAMP AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WE HAVE NO RECORD OF WHETHER ANY SORTIES WERE FLOWN ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. * NO. 9: GIVEN THAT THIS C-130 AIRCRAFT LEFT PALERMO AT 1720 IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE OVERFLOWN THE TYRRHENIAN SEA AT AROUND THE TIME OF ACCIDENT; IT IS THEREFORE ALMOST CERTAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF THE NATO TRACKS. * NO. 11: AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE UK ON 24 JUNE FOR ARMAMENTS PRACTICE CAMP AT RAF DECIMOMANNU (SARDINIA). RECORDS SHOW THAT SOME OF THE AIRCRAFT FLEW ON TO RAF AKROTIRI VIA BRINDISI, BUT DO NOT SHOW WHETHER ANY SORTIES WERE FLOWN ON 27 JUNE. * NO. 24: THESE AIRCRAFT WOULD HAVE BEEN DETACHED TO RAF AKROTIRI THROUGHOUT JUNE TO SUPPORT THE VARIOUS ARMAMENTS PRACTICE CAMPS TAKING PLACE THERE. THERE IS NO RECORD OF WHETHER ANY SORTIES WERE FLOWN ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT.