Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile
Defence

Angus Robertson (Moray, Scottish National Party)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) what assessment he has made of the implications for the armed forces of reports of a fault with the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile's rocket motors;

(2) how many Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles the Royal Air Force has available for use; and when the most recent missile was delivered;

(3) how many successful firings of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile have taken place for each model of missile and aircraft type it was fired from in each of the last eight years.

Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)

The most recent Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) was delivered to the UK on 25 October 2006. The Ministry of Defence does not comment on the specific number of its weapons systems stockpiles as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

The AMRAAM system is subjected to regular and rigorous testing throughout its life. These weapons are not affected by an alleged fault on new production rocket motors that has been reported in the media. There are no plans to procure any additional AMRAAM systems, as they will be replaced in due course by the new Meteor missile that is in the final stages of development.

Trial firings of AMRAAM in each of the last eight years and the type of aircraft from which they were fired are shown in the following table:

All firings have been successful. No operational firings have taken place.