HC Deb 13 July 2000 vol 353 cc631-2W
Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the cost of the personal role radios that his Department intends to buy; [127608]

(2) if staff requirement (L) 4083 vehicle integrated communications and information system continues to form part of the BOWMAN requirement; [127607]

(3) if he intends to hold a competition for the BOWMAN requirement; [127609]

(4) if the personal role radios to be procured will be compatible with both section and platoon nets; [127606]

(5) what (a) was the original and (b) is the current budget for the BOWMAN requirement. [127610]

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 Robert Walmsley to Mr. Robert Key, dated 13 July 2000: I am replying to your questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the BOWMAN communication project. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. The personal role radio (PRR) is a short range radio designed to facilitate communications within sections and other small military teams. The PRR will be required to work with existing Clansman and BOWMAN man portable radios which will enable section commanders to pass information from the platoon net to the section and vice versa. The PRR is currently being procured through competition. It is therefore not possible now to give a definitive cost figure, but it is expected that the whole life cost will be in the order of £40M. The original budget for the procurement of the BOWMAN system was £1.9Bn at 1993/94 economic conditions. Allowing for inflation this equates to the current budget for the procurement of BOWMAN, as currently constituted, of £2.2Bn at 1999/00 economic conditions. ACSL is currently the preferred source for the supply of BOWMAN. Study contracts were placed earlier this year with Computing Devices Canada and Thomson CSP to ascertain whether alternatives to the current ACSL solution for BOWMAN might be available to compete for the requirement. These studies have reported and are being evaluated. We expect a decision on the way ahead for the BOWMAN project later this Summer. I can confirm that staff requirement (L) 4083 vehicle integrated communications and information system continues to form part of the BOWMAN requirement.

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