§ Mr. Hawksleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to meet the Army's requirements for a replacement armoured personnel carrier.
§ Mr. PymThe Army's present armoured personnel carrier, the FV432 series of vehicles, has been in service since the 1960s and will need to be replaced from the mid-1980s. Two vehicles have been considered for this requirement, the mechanised combat vehicle (MCV-80) designed by the British firm GKN-Sankey, and the American infantry fighting vehicle, which would be manufactured under licence in this country.
After a careful assessment of the relevant operational, financial and industrial factors I have decided to select MCV 80 422W to meet this requirement. The total estimated cost of the replacement programme is about £1,000 million and full development will be launched shortly.