§ Mrs. Angela KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current status of the Royal Air Force's advanced short range air-to-air missile programme.
§ Mr. AitkenI am pleased to report that the contract for development and production of an initial batch of advanced short-range air-to-air missiles awarded to British Aerospace in March 1992 is proceeding well. Progress to date has been satisfactory; British Aerospace have met all major milestones and the programme remains on schedule to meet the in-service date of December 1998.
I am also pleased to announce that, following a recent review of the operational requirements of the RAF's Harrier and new European fighter aircraft, the contract for the follow-on order of a further quantity of missiles, announced in the statement on the defence estimates 1994, has been awarded to British Aerospace.
This represents an important endorsement of the programme by the Government, is an excellent fillip for British Aerospace in its continuing efforts to promote the exportability of the missile and, with the order valued at some £66 million, is, in itself, excellent news for British industry.