§ Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether a Rapier system has been sent to Japan for evaluation.
§ Mr. HayhoeNo, but the Japanese have seen the Rapier system of the United Kingdom on a number of occasions and have been provided with ample information for a proper evaluation.
§ Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress the Japanese Government have made in their evaluation of the Rapier; and whether their decision to order their new SAM system instead is final.
§ Mr. HayhoeI understand that the Japanese Government have decided finally to procure a Japanese-manufactured equipment to meet their requirement for a surface-to-air missile system.