Guided Weapons

Norman Baker
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Hydra CRV-7 rocket system has been reclassified as no longer a cluster munition; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Bob Ainsworth
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 July 2007, Official Report, column 1247W, to the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Caton).

There is no international definition of a cluster munition, nor of the number of sub-munitions a weapon must carry in order to be classed as a cluster munition. An element of the UK’s own understanding of a cluster munition is that a weapon should carry more than 10 sub-munitions in order to be classified a cluster munition.

The term ‘Hydra’ refers to an American rocket system which we do not use. The Canadian Rocket Vehicle 7 (CRV-7) is manufactured in Canada and is the version currently in-service with UK forces. Multi Purpose Sub Munition is one of the rocket variants of the CRV-7 system.