§ Mr. Duncan SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to acquire GPS guided munitions for the Royal Air Force. [106567]
§ Mr. KilfoyleThe UK is procuring Storm Shadow, a conventionally armed stand-off missile which utilises Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology, to provide a precision capability to defeat hardened static targets in almost all weather conditions. Storm Shadow has an In Service Date of 2002.
We are also considering the procurement of precision guided munitions to improve the accuracy with which our forces can deliver ballistic bombs, and to provide a capability for them to be delivered in almost all weather conditions. Various technological solutions are available that could provide autonomous guidance for a weapon which met such a requirement, including the use of GPS technology.