MISSILE COSTS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29269, 29 July 1960, Page 13

MISSILE COSTS

‘Watchdog’ Protests (NX. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. July 28. Three British guided weapons have so far cost £9O miUion more than originally estimated to develop—and the figure is still going up, a Parliamentary “watchdog’’ committee reported yesterday. The three missiles are referred to in the report of the Committee of Public Accounts as Type A, B and C. Type A is a naval missile. It was expected to cost between £1 million and £1,500,000. So far it has cost £4O million. According to the "Daily Sketch." the weapon is the Sea Slug, a ship-to-air missile developed by Armstrong Whitworth, Ltd. Type B is a guided weapon for the Army. The estimated cost was The cost to date is £27 million. Development is still going on and the present estimate for this weapon is £4O million. According to the “Daily Sketch,” Type B is the English Electric ground-to-air missile Thunderbird, Type C is a guided weapon described as Mark 1. The estimated cost was £4 million. The actual cost was £23 million. This weapon is said to be the de Havilland air-to-air Firestreak. The report attacked the methods of the former Ministry of Supply (now the Ministry of Aviation) for comparing costs with estimates, and complained that financial control over contracts for the devolpment of guided missiles had been “seriously inadequate.” The report recommended that the Treasury be warned when an estimate was likely to be too low, and that the Treasury be told promptly when costs rose as the work progressed.