HL Deb 31 July 1997 vol 582 cc85-6WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the new US expert awareness of the improbability of a ballistic missile only attack on US and allied territory or forces, coupled with the availability of stealth cruise missiles launchable from a wide variety of platforms, have rendered out of date the studies of ballistic missile only defences conducted in recent years in NATO and in the UK by a British Aerospace-Lockheed Martin consortium.

Lord Gilbert

The United Kingdom's Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) carried out by a consortium led by British Aerospace, examined options, costs and timescales of potential BMD systems for both UK national needs and those of deployed forces. Its conclusions, together with those of other studies, are currently being assessed in the context of the Strategic Defence Review. The UK continues to support work within NATO on the potential threat from both ballistic and cruise missiles.