Written question asked by Julian Lewis (Conservative) on Tuesday, 16 January 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 24 January 2007. It was answered by Adam Ingram (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 January 2007 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on future unmanned underwater vehicle programmes for the Royal Navy.

Answer: [holding answer 24 January 2007]: The primary requirement that the Royal Navy currently has for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) is for Mine Countermeasures. In addition to the Very Shallow Water UUV which is currently in service, an Invitation to Tender was published in November 2006 to deliver a Reconnaissance UUV which we hope to have in service by the end of the decade. Beyond that, the Navy’s Future Mine Countermeasures Strategy sets out our aspiration for a range of fully autonomous UUVs, capable of conducting mine detection, classification and neutralisation while the parent platform remains at a safe distance.

Secondary information