(DEFENCE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE)
February, 1975.] Mr. A. P. HOCKADAY, C.B., C.M.G.,
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Rear Admiral A. S. MORTON, Mr. T. CULLEN, Mr. D. M. EVANS, Mr. G. C. B. Donds, Mr. A. R. M. JAFFRAY, Mr. J. D. BRYARS and Mr. T. C. G. JAMES, C.M.G.
126. There was a suggestion the laser equipment might also fall in the same category?- -There is some other American equipment in the MRCA besides the terrain following radar. It is relatively modest in amount and I think its contribution, if any, to the German offset problem is very small indeed.
Dr. Miller.
127. In connection with the terrain following radar, is this equipment similar to the equipment which is manufactured by Decca?- -No, not so far as I know. At an early stage in the partnership investigations of what was the right equipment to meet the specification there was a possibility
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128. This obviates the necessity to use beacons on the ground. I am interested in this because the Americans blocked the use of this in civil aircraft some years ago in Montreal, I believe?I do not know about that.
Mr. Roper.
129. My second point on MRCA is it has been suggested the MRCA, like other collaborative ventures, is going to cost more because it is a collaborative project and there have been various esti- mates of what the collaborative premium will be. What are the Ministry of Defence estimates as to the collaborative premium?(Mr. Dodds.) It is very difficult indeed to judge this, the difficulty being the obvious one that if you are doing a collaborative project you have not got the indigenous project to com- pare it with. You can make estimates of what it would cost but to be very confi- dent that your estimates were right in comparison with a project that was actually being carried out is very difficult indeed. The Controller of Aircraft has given an estimate of the premium in the case of the MRCA, he gave this to the Public Accounts Committee, as about 25 per cent.
130. Do you feel that is a reasonable estimate?- -I think so, yes. We did some studies on the Jaguar aircraft with the French and we thought it was between 20 per cent. and 30 per cent.
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131. Because there have been some suggestions it might be as high as 50 per cent. You find that excessive?. There may be some projects where it is so, I could not deny it.
Mr. Conlan.
132. Is the reduction in the rate of delivery for the MRCA likely to in- crease the total overall cost? -(Mr. James.) As we said in the supplementary memorandum, it would be likely to in- crease the unit cost of the aircraft by a relatively modest amount, but if I might refer back to something which the Chair- man was saying earlier on, you will remember from MRCA examinations that the present stage of the project is what one might describe as the final de- velopment and trial stage. The three countries have got their plans for the numbers of aircraft that they expect to be produced to meet their needs, but the final decisions on numbers have not yet been taken. We do not expect them to be taken until the end of this calendar year, possibly in 1976, and until one knows just what the production plot is and what industrial arrangements are going to be made to produce that num- ber of aircraft, it is extremely difficult to answer a question such as that.
Chairman.
133. BAC, seeing trial flight number 7, I think it was, were very keen. They said they thought they would be able to sell quite a large number, or were hope- ful they could, to foreign countries. Is our slow development going to put this back? Have you made any calculation about that? -The Defence Review proposal to reduce the rate of delivery to the Air Force ought not to affect the marketing possibilities at all. It might even, in certain circumstances, improve them.
134. All I would say is we were very highly impressed as a committee with what we saw. On the Nimrod, we were told in December 1973 there was a very sound military justification for extra Nimrods which had been ordered in 1972 if you remember, possibly to stimulate employment. Now we learn several of
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.