HL Deb 15 January 1980 vol 404 cc97-8WA
Lord HILL-NORTON

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What weapons systems projects of purely United Kingdom origin have been put into production for the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force since June 1977 and whether any of these has been or is likely to be sold to foreign armed forces.

The MINISTER of STATE, MINISTRY of DEFENCE (Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal)

The more important weapons systems projects of purely United Kingdom origin for which production contracts have been let since June 1977 are:

  • the Ship Torpedo Weapon System Mk. II;
  • the Mark 24/1 Torpedo;
  • the Stingray Light Weight Anti-Submarine Torpedo; and
  • the Ranger Mine-Laying System (for land mines).

We hope to sell all of these equipments abroad in due course, subject to the usual case by case consideration, though sales of equipment do not usually materialise until a weapon has been in service with our own Armed Forces for some while.

Other major projects of purely United Kingdom origin which are not weapons systems but for which production contracts have been let since June 1977 include the Nimrod airborne early warning aircraft, the VC.10 tanker aircraft, the Wavell mobile ADP information system for the Army and a number of submarine and surface sonar equipments.