§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that United Kingdom precision-guided weapons cannot be blinded by enemy multi-spectral smoke shells; [26776]
(2) what assessment he has made of the extent to which multi-spectral smoke shells will obscure targets from targeting systems of precision-guided munitions. [26774]
§ Mr. SpellarResearch has been carried out into means of countering the effects of multi-spectral smoke shells on UK precision guided weapons. The effects of multi-spectral smoke shells on targeting systems have also been assessed in field trials using representative target acquisition equipment. The potential effects will be taken into account, where appropriate, in our future requirements for precision munitions. To release further details would harm national security or defence and I am therefore withholding them in accordance with exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.