§ Sir Patrick Wallasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of the light weight Sea Wolf missile system and its associated radar.
§ Mr. NottAfter careful Consideration of competitive offers from Marconi Radar Systems Ltd. and from British Aerospace Dynamics Ltd.—in association with Hollandse Signaal Apparaten—I have decided to proceed with an improved Sea Wolf point defence missile system incorporating the Marconi 805 SW lightweight tracking radar. Orders for development and production for these improvements worth over £75 million at today's prices will be placed shortly, subject to the satisfactory completion of negotiations with the firm for a fixed price contract. The Sea Wolf missile itself is made by British Aerospace under a continuing production programme.
The 805 tracking radar will enable the Sea Wolf system, already fitted in the Broadsword class of anti-submarine frigate, to keep pace with the expected growth in the threat from very low trajectory missiles. Our order will maintain British capability in the field of advanced radar development and provide work for several hundred people at Marconi radar plants.
308W