§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present state of development of the United Kingdom involvement in the short-range air-to-air missile.
§ Mr. PattieEuropean production of the Sidewinder AIM9L short-range missile is being undertaken by a consortium, of which the United Kingdom is a member. The Royal Air Force is due to receive its first missiles from this source next year.
Initial studies on the next generation of air-to-air missiles are in hand: under a memorandum of understanding signed with Germany and the United States earlier this year, possible arrangements for collaboration are being examined.