§ Mr. Quentin DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he proposes to place a contract for the first Type 45 destroyers; and if he will make a statement; [147572]
(2) what plans he has to ensure that Type 45 destroyers have their own anti-submarine warfare capability; if this will be available from the outset; and if he will make a statement; [147574]
(3) what sonar equipment will be carried by the Type 45 destroyers; [147573]
(4) if he will list the anti-submarine Systems carried by the Type 45 destroyers, and the age of the sonars involved. [147575]
§ Dr. MoonieAs I stated on 21 December 2000,Official Report, columns 248–51W, a contract was placed on 20 December with BAE Systems Electronics (the nominated Prime Contractor for the Type 45 programme) for the Demonstration and First-of-Class Manufacture phase covering the completion of the design and build of the first three Type 45 destroyers. Equipped with the Principal Anti-Air Missile System, the primary role of the Type 45 is anti-air warfare, although it will have an anti-submarine capability.
Following contract signature we have been able to accelerate the fitting of a hull-mounted sonar, the top requirement within the Incremental Acquisition Plan (IAP), so that this is now achievable in all Type 45s as they are built. An Invitation to Tender for the sonar system will be issued by the Prime Contractor in February and we envisage that a new, off-the-shelf system will prove to offer best value for money.
The Type 45 has been designed with a much lower acoustic signature than the existing Type 42, and this will reduce the likelihood of its detection by submarines. From the outset, in addition to the sonar, the Type 45's anti-submarine warfare capability will be provided by the Lynx HMA Mark 8 helicopter; the ships will also be fully interoperable with the Merlin HM Mark 1 anti-submarine helicopter. These aircraft will carry Stingray anti-submarine torpedoes. The Type 45s will also be equipped, from build, to carry the Surface Ship Torpedo Defence System (SSTD) towed and expendable acoustic decoys. In the longer term, all the Type 45' s will also be fitted to deploy enhanced SSTD countermeasures, and this requirement forms part of the Type 45 IAP.
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if it is a requirement of the ministerial approvals for the current procurement strategy for the Type 45 destroyer that BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thorneycroft are prepared for effective competition downstream in the programme; [147982]
(2) pursuant to his written answer of 21 December 2000, Official Report, columns 249–50W, in what circumstances the DFM contract allows for his Department to withhold its agreement for a significant 99W sub-contract; how this is affected by the principle of the assumption of risk by the prime contractor; and if he will make a statement; [147984]
(3) pursuant to his answer of 21 December 2000, Official Report, columns 249–50W, what obligations the DFM contract places upon BAE Systems Electronics to prepare BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thorneycroft to compete for later ships of the class; [147983]
(4) pursuant to his written answer of 21 December 2000, Official Report, columns 249–50W, if acceptance of BAE Systems Marine's unsolicited proposal would require (a) amendment and (b) renegotiation of the DFM contract with BAE Systems Electronics. [147985]
§ Dr. MoonieIn his statement on 11 July 2000,Official Report, columns 701–12, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence advised the House that, under the control of the Prime Contractor (BAE Systems Electronics), a single design definition is being developed involving the two shipbuilders BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thorneycroft. This will mean, that from the outset, we have a design that can be efficiently constructed by either company, and that this will assist competition for follow-on ships. This is the basis of the Demonstration and First of Class Manufacture (DFM) contract which covers the design and build of the first three ships only. Our procurement strategy has not changed.
The DFM contract requires all sub-contracts with a value in excess of £500,000 to be competed unless agreed otherwise between the Prime Contractor and the MOD. The Prime Contractor is also required to satisfy the MOD that prices of an sub-contracts to be placed non-competitively are fair and reasonable. The MOD is free to decide in what manner it wishes to be associated with the pricing of sub-contracts and, through the mechanisms described above, will have a close oversight of them. The Prime Contractor is responsible for the selection of his sub-contractors and the risk that the Prime Contractor has accepted in the contract will remain unchanged by this oversight.
The BAE Systems Marine unsolicited proposal is still being assessed but if it is accepted, the DFM contract would need to be re-negotiated.