§ Mr. Murphyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what stage has been reached in the development and production of the Skyflash missile.
§ Mr. PymThe Skyflash Mk1 missile is already in service with the Royal Air Force. To maintain its excellent performance against the likely future threat and to exploit better the capabilities of the Tornado F2 aircraft, it has been decided to develop an improved Mk2 version which will represent a major enhancement of our air defence capability. The total cost of the development programme and incorporation in production missiles is estimated at about £75 million. The programme will provide additional work for British Aerospace and other British firms.