§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the(a) forecast in-service date, 446W (b) forecast date of main gate approval and (c) forecast cost of the assessment phase of the GMLRS; and how many rockets will be procured. [111828]
§ Mr. IngramThe in service date for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) will not be set until the project receives its main investment approval to proceed to development and manufacture (Main Gate), but current estimates are that the capability will become available in the second half of this decade; the project is due for Main Gate consideration later this year.
Initial approval of GMLRS pre-dates the SMART acquisition process. The United Kingdom participated in a United States led Engineering Manufacture and Development Programme which was of a greater scope than an assessment phase; the cost of the UK's participation in this phase was around £20 million.
The number of rockets to be procured will be in the region of 5,000; the actual number will be subject to approval at Main Gate.