§ Lord Hardy of Wathasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will select the air-to-air missile which will equip the Eurofighter; and whether they consider 50WA that this selection will have long-term consequences for both defence and industry. [HL1126]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)The bids we have received for a beyond visual range air-to-air missile, BVRAAM, to arm Eurofighter are being subjected to a full technical and commercial assessment. We hope to make an announcement on the outcome of the competition later this year. The assessment will take all relevant factors into account, including missile performance, cost and industrial factors. The extent to which the programme could have long-term consequences for defence and industry will depend, inter alia, on the detailed proposals offered to the MoD.