§ 14. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future torpedo production programme, and, in particular, of Sting Ray.
§ Mr. SpeedThe first production order for the Sting Ray lightweight torpedo has already been placed with Marconi Space and Defence Systems Limited, and further orders are planned. The production of Tigerfish, the Royal Navy's current heavyweight torpedo, will come to an end during the next few years, but the manufacture of modification kits, to improve existing stocks of these weapons, and other work will continue beyond this. The extent of future torpedo production in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy will also depend upon decisions on the new heavyweight torpedo planned to replace Tigerfish from the later 1980s onwards.