HC Deb 13 July 1993 vol 228 cc471-2W
Sir Michael Grylls

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to order further quantities of BATES equipment for the Royal Artillery; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Aitken

I am pleased to announce that I have approved the placing of an order worth some £60 million with Marconi Radar and Control Systems for additional production of the battlefield artillery target engagement system, known as BATES, which will allow automated control of artillery up to corps level.

The further equipment now on order will be delivered up to 1996 and will act as a "force multiplier" for the Army's major artillery systems, MLRS and AS90, and link them to surveillance and targeting systems.

The award of this contract will safeguard 200 jobs at the Marconi sites at Hillend—Fife, Scotland—where most manufacture will take place, and Frimley in Surrey.