§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the(a) total estimated cost and (b) unit cost of the TIALD system included in the Tornado MLU programme specifying in each case the proportion of costs incurred by (i) development and (ii) production; and if he will make a statement. [107547]
344W
§ Dr. Moonie[holding answer 2 February 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.
Letter from John Howe to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 11 February 2000:
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence in which you asked for details of the total estimated cost and unit cost of the TIALD system included in the Tornado MLU programme specifying in each case the proportion of cost incurred by development and production. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.Integration of the TIALD system onto Tornado GR4 is but one element of the MLU93 firm price contract placed with PANAVIA (industrial consortium comprising BAE, DASA and Alenia) via the Tornado tri-national project office in 1994. Within the total contract value we are not able to identify the costs specifically associated with TIALD integration, a task which is essentially softwareintegration and involving minimal production cost. The TIALD pods used on Tornado are common to a number of different aircraft types including Harrier GR7, Harrier T10, Tornado GR1 and Tornado GR4; and were procured as part of a separate equipment programme. A total of 23 pods have been procured at a total development cost of £23m and a production cost per pod of £1.7m (both at 1999 prices).