§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance has been requested from the Ministry of Defence by BAE Systems to develop a US production base for the XM777 Light Weight Howitzer; and if he will make a statement. [123001]
§ Dr. MoonieXM777 is based on the Ultra-lightweight Field Howitzer (UFH), which was designed as a private venture in the United Kingdom by the then Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd., now part of Royal Ordnance Defence. The UFH won a competition run by the US Marine Corps and became the XM777 Light Weight Howitzer in the US Engineering and Manufacturing Demonstration (EMD) phase of acquisition.
No request for assistance to develop a US production base has been received by the Defence Procurement Agency.