Written question asked by Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative) on Thursday, 11 March 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 March 2004. It was answered by Adam Ingram (Labour) on Monday, 22 March 2004 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the life expectancy is of (a) Swingfire, (b) Milan and (c) artillery shells in war stocks; and what the policy of removal is.

Answer: Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the life expectancy is of (a) Swingfire, (b) Milan and (c) artillery shells in war stocks; and what the policy of removal is. [161870] Mr. Ingram: The life of a munition is constantly under consideration and work is ongoing while in-service to ensure the nature remains safe and suitable for use. When missiles reach the end of their in-service life they are disposed of either through being used for training purposes, or if that is not possible through a demilitarisation programme. At present both Swingfire and Milan missiles have an in-service life of 17 years. Artillery shells are maintained to the required level of safety and in sufficient quantities to meet operational requirements. It is preferred to utilise artillery shells for training purposes rather than opting for disposal, thereby maximising their usefulness. Typically, the in service life of an Artillery Shell is a minimum of 10 years.

Secondary information