§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the position regarding the main production for spearfish torpedoes.
§ Mr. FreemanI am pleased to announce that we have today placed a main production contract with GEC-Marconi Naval Systems for the supply and in-service support of Spearfish submarine-launched torpedoes for the Royal Navy.
The Spearfish torpedo is a highly advanced, submarine-launched anti-submarine and anti-ship torpedo and provides the Royal Navy with a capability designed to counter all known and predicted ship and submarine systems. Spearfish, which is already in service, will progressively replace the Tigerfish torpedo in Royal Navy submarines by the turn of the century.
The contract is worth some £630 million and will create some 40 new jobs and help to safeguard many more at the company's underwater weapons division at Waterlooville, Hampshire. As over 80 per cent. of the manufacturing and processing work will be sub-contracted, this order will be very welcome for a wide section of British industry.
The Royal Naval armament depot at Beith in Ayrshire will be acting as a major sub-contractor to GEC-Marconi Naval Systems for both the final assembly of the torpedoes and for all in-service support. Consequently, this contract will also help to safeguard a large number of jobs at RNAD Beith.