§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with the Norwegian Government about the possible purchase of the Eurofighter; and if he will make a statement. [109799]
§ Dr. MoonieDiscussions with the Norwegian Government are continuing and cover various aspects of governmental support, such as training, to assist in this important marketing campaign. Ministers of the Eurofighter nations have agreed to accept Norway as a member of the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency should she choose to buy Eurofighter.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact the production of the Meteor Missile in the United Kingdom will have on the missile selection process for the Eurofighter; and if he will make a statement. [109523]
§ Dr. MoonieWe are currently evaluating the bids we have received from two companies, Matra BAe Dynamics and Raytheon Systems Ltd., to meet our requirement for a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile for Eurofighter. Our assessment will take into account the industrial issues associated with each bid together with a wide range of other factors including missile performance, cost, technical risk and overall value for money.