Archive

1982 Nov 15 - 1984 Feb 28
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/1185
Defence (Defence sales) (Part 3)

Document type: File list item
Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2014 Jan 3
Classification: Confidential
Page count: 435
Any docs withheld?

Selections from this file

Showing items 21 - 40 of 48

Per page:
Date Value Title
83 Jul 26 Tu Major Defence: MT letter to Prime Minister Gandhi (Sea King helicopter and Sea Eagle missile) ["delighted to hear that the contracts have now been signed"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Aug 9 Tu Major Defence: Howe PS letter to No.10 ("Tornado for Greece") [draft MT letter for Heseltine to give to Papandreou on his visit to Athens to attempt to secure contract] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Aug 10 We Major Defence: Howe PS letter to No.10 ("Chad: arms sales") [sale of missiles to French for supply to Chad; line to take in event of deal becoming public] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Aug 22 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Defence Sales Quarterly Report - April to June 1983") ["relatively encouraging"; MT requests meeting to discuss Saudi Arabia] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Aug 24 We Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Tornado for Greece - German interest rates") ["The Greeks have made it clear that we stand no chance of obtaining this order unless we can order credit at a fixed rate of interest below 9%... we should try to bring maximum political pressure to bear on the Germans"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Aug 25 Th Major Defence: MT letter to Chancellor Kohl (export of Tornado aircraft to Greece) ["urge that, as an exceptional measure, the German authorities be asked to support a fixed [loan interest] rate of 8.95% without any special conditions or restrictions in order to meet the Greek requirement"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Sep 1 Th Major Defence: Chancellor Kohl letter to MT (export of Tornado aircraft to Greece) ["regarding the financing of the project... we have now reached our limit"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Sep 2 Fr Major Defence: MT letter to Prime Minister Papandreou (Tornado aircraft) ["Chancellor Kohl and the Government of Italy share with me the view that the purchase of Tornado is of major importance in cementing... defence, political and commerical links"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Sep 2 Fr Major Defence: Ministry of Defence record of conversation (Tornado aircraft and the Anglo-Greek Memorandum of Understanding) [Heseltine, Papandreou, Pattie, Zakolikos] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Sep 16 Fr Major Defence: Howe minute to Heseltine ("Portugese Frigate Programme") ["I very much share... [MT] view that we ought to help Portugal... therefore grateful to you for agreeing to make available to us... £5 million"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Sep 22 Th Major Defence: Parkinson letter to Heseltine ("Plessey Radar Ltd - Ecuador") ["ECGD is already paying claims in respect of past business with Ecuador... standard policy in such circumstances is not to undertake new commitments until there are positive signs of a sustained economic recovery"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Nov 1 Tu Major Defence: Howe minute to Heseltine ("Defence sales to Libya: Saladin spares") ["I found it necessary to delay political approval for this export license in September, following an intemperate Libyan threat to give active support to the IRA. We now need to decide whether to go ahead"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Nov 16 We Major Defence: Geoffrey Pattie minute to Heseltine ("Rapier for Spain") [competing proposals for low-level air defence system: record of conversation with Spanish government to discuss BA pitch/Gibraltar problem] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Nov 22 Tu Major Defence: Department of Trade & Industry telegram to UKHC New Delhi ("Westland helicopters") [grounding in US due to accident; repercussions for contract with India; lines to take for MT - currently in India for Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Nov 22 Tu Major Defence: Department of Trade & Industry telegram to UKHC New Delhi (Westland helicopter problem) ["Defensive briefing on line for... [MT] to take": grounding of all Westland helicopters in US following accident; MT in India for Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Nov 23 We Major Defence: Department of Trade & Industry minute to N0.10 & others ("Westland helicopters") [grounding of all Westland 30s in US following accident: "very bad news indeed... will undoubtedly cause problems for Westlands with the Government of India"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Nov 30 We Major Defence: No.10 letter to Howe PS ("Westland W30 helicopters") [Indian Air Force: "I believe that we are unlikely to win the contract unless we offer substantial aid"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Dec 12 Mo Major Defence: Heseltine minute to MT (Quarterly Report on Defence Sales: July - September 1983) ["Since 1979 defence exports have grown by an average of almost 10% a year in real terms, and there is every prospect that this will be repeated in 1983"] [declassified Jan 2014]
83 Dec 16 Fr Major Defence: Howe PS letter to No.10 ("Westlands W30 helicopters for India") ["you asked for a progress report... on our consideration of the Indians' request for aid"] [declassified Jan 2014]
84 Jan 16 Mo Major Defence: MT letter to Prime Minister Gonzalez (British Aerospace and the 'RAPIER' low-level air defence system) ["I am pleased that BAe's proposals have clearly received very serious consideration... an encouragement to pursue vigorously the opportunities for collaboration on other projects"] [declassified Jan 2014]