§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many SP-70 self-propelled Howitzers are on order or are likely to be ordered; what is the likely cost per unit; and what is the expected into-service date.
§ Mr. PattieDevelopment of SP-70 by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy is not yet complete and no firm production orders have been placed. The number to be ordered in due course will depend on the requirements of all three Governments. I regret that production estimates must remain confidential pending competitive tendering for production work among the industries of the three partner nations. The gun is expected to enter service at the end of the decade.