§ 33. Mr. Wallasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the rocket weapons now being developed for the Royal Navy are capable of being mounted in a submarine.
§ The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (Mr. Robert Allan)The types of rocket weapons being developed for the Royal Navy are for use against aircraft and are not suited for mounting in submarines.
§ Mr. WallWill my hon. Friend agree that surprise is one of the principles of war and surprise is more likely to be obtained by a rocket-firing submarine than by a static land-based rocket? Will he also say something about the development of the American Polaris and whether the Admiralty has been associated with that development?
§ Mr. AllanAs the House knows, the Polaris is a weapon of the I.R.B.M. type and is being developed in the United States for launching from submerged submarines. It is being given the highest priority there and is expected to be in service in the early 1960s. On this matter, as on many others, we are in close contact with the United States.