§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the procurement of a new attack helicopter for the Army.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkFollowing our withdrawal from the collaborative Al29-LAH studies, we have decided that the attack and armed reconnaissance roles would be best met by separate helicopters. We plan to replace the Lynx in the480W anti-tank role by an off-the-shelf purchase towards the end of the decade. To this end, we propose to issue a request for proposals against a cardinal points specification in the spring of 1992. The requirement for an armed reconnaissance helicopter will be considered separately.