§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the effectiveness of ship borne surface-to-surface missiles. [171863]
§ Mr. IngramThe Harpoon anti-ship missile, fitted to Type 22 and Type 23 frigates, provides our current surface-to-surface ship borne missile capability. The Ministry of Defence regularly assesses the effectiveness of such weapons systems, through a combination of routine trials, research and analysis and as a normal part of our review of the equipment programme.
In terms of potential future capabilities, the Department is currently conducting a balance of investment study into a range of possible land attack options. This includes consideration of the utility of ship
Unit Date Location Interval (months) 1 PARA May and August 2000 (2 short deployments) Sierra Leone 9 January to June 2001 Northern Ireland 4 January to June 2003 Iraq 19 2 PARA January to March 2002 Afghanistan 2 September 2002 to March 2003 Northern Ireland 6 December 2003 to April 2004 Iraq 8 3 PARA January to June 2002 Northern Ireland 18 January to June 2003 Iraq 7 May 2004 to date Northern Ireland 11 7 Armoured Brigade May to November 2000 Kosovo 31 May to November 2001 Kosovo 6 January to June 2003 Iraq 13 The details of those personnel classed as non-FE, as at 1 July 2004, are included as follows. Non-FE status signifies some form of temporary medical downgrading, although it should be noted that while an individual is considered to be medically downgraded, they may still be liable for deployment, depending on the reason for the downgrading, the nature and location of the deployment, and medical advice.
Unit Non-FE total Establishment total Percentage of establishment 1 Para 45 687 7.3 2 Para 20 687 2.9 3 Para 50 687 7.2 7 Armoured Brigade 415 6,575 6.3