To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 March 2007, Official Report, columns 1671-72W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, how much each individual Desert Hawk mini UAV costs; whether UK armed forces have been or will be supplied with any other types of UAV other than Desert Hawk; and whether consideration has been given to the use of light or small propeller driven aircraft for use by the RAF or Army Air Corps for (a) surveillance or (b) close combat support. (142074)

Desert Hawk is employed as a system consisting of eight air vehicles and the associated ground control station, communications and support equipment. The current variant costs approximately £0.4 million per system. A replacement air vehicle would cost in the region of £20,000.

UK armed forces have been supplied with the Phoenix tactical UAV system and the Desert Hawk and Buster mini UAV systems. Also, they will be supplied with Reaper (formally Predator B) and Hermes 450 UAV systems to meet urgent operational requirements. The Watchkeeper UAV system will meet the future tactical UAV requirement.

UK armed forces have some fairly small propeller-driven aircraft in service for surveillance and we keep our requirements for this type of capability under review. Such aircraft would be unlikely to meet our demanding requirements for close air support.