Trigat Project (Hansard, 29 February 2000)

§ Dr. Moonie

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Sir Robert Walmsley to Mr. Robert Key, dated 29 February 2000: I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the Medium Range (MR) TRIGAT Anti-Tank Guided Weapon Programme. This matter falls to me for answer within my responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. Germany, France and UK, as the major participants in the programme, have signed the MR TRIGAT Industrialisation and Production Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The Netherlands and Belgium have still to sign and we expect decisions to be made by both nations by Spring 2000, once their Governmental and Parliamentary procedures are complete. The Industrialisation and Production contract has now been initialled by the Prime Contractor Aerospatiale but is awaiting completion of the MOU signatory process before it is formally notified (and placed) by France, acting as the contracting authority on behalf of the participating nations. Despite the delay in signing the MOU by the Netherlands and Belgium, contract placement by Spring 2000 would, on current plans, maintain the programme on schedule to meet the UK's in-service date.