§ Rachel SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the CHARM 3 proof firing programme at Dundrennan in Kirkcudbrightshire. [2394]
§ Dr. MoonieDue to the foot and mouth restrictions no firings are currently taking place at the Kirkcudbright range in Scotland. The results from the proof firings for the earlier batches of the CHARM 3 round have shown a consistently high standard of quality and performance. No changes are being made to the manufacturing process for the few, final batches and, based on advice from MOD's technical, safety and commercial experts, it has been agreed that the final firings can be waived. Further proof testing while the ammunition remains in service may be required, but this has yet to be confirmed.
There will still be a need for some CHARM 3 firings at Kirkcudbright. These firings relate to two safety trials for the Challenger 2 tank. The first is a worn barrel trial which is needed to establish with absolute certainty the amount of wear that can be permitted within a barrel while still being confident that the round can be fired safely. The second relates to trials prior to the acceptance of a new charge for Al climatic conditions (very hot and dry). These safety trails could require the firing of an estimated maximum of 120 rounds.