§ Mr. RichardsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present position with regard to the United Kingdom military communications satellite; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AitkenA contract worth some £300m has been awarded today for the development, production and delivery in orbit of two Skynet 4 stage 2 military communication satellites. These will replace the existing Skynet 4 stage 1 satellites as they approach the end of their operational life.
British Aerospace is prime contractor for this work. The main sub-contractors are Matra Marconi Space (UK) for satellite communications payload work and McDonnell Douglas and Arianespace for the launch vehicles. This is an important contract which will ensure the well-being of the United Kingdom's space industry and contribute to its long-term future.