Ministry of Defence

Achieving Initial Operating Capability (IOC) is dependent on the certification and delivery of the necessary aircraft, together with the support and training capabilities required to generate and sustain safe and effective output.

The Ministry of Defence continues to work with Boeing and other stakeholders towards meeting these requirements at the earliest opportunity.

The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) currently have three Digital Evidence Detection Dogs (DEDD) with another dog identified and awaiting training.

DEDD are part of the wider MDP search dog capability, with future growth dependent on prioritising operational needs across all search disciplines. Allocation across disciplines will remain flexible based on operational demand and available resources.

Delivery confidence assessments and programme performance summaries for all of the Government Major Projects are published in the NISTA Annual Report. Updates on performance and the latest delivery confidence assessments will next be provided from information captured on 31 March 2027.

Delivery confidence assessments and programme performance summaries for all of the Government Major Projects are published in the NISTA Annual Report. Updates on performance and the latest delivery confidence assessments will next be provided from information captured on 31 March 2027.

No date has yet been set for completion of the review of Bulldog's Out of Service Date. The review forms part of wider Defence capability planning and any decision will balance operational requirements, military capability, supportability, affordability and value for money.

The Ministry of Defence has reviewed the report and recognises the issues it raises. Alongside a range of other information sources, the report helps inform the Department's approach to the F-35 programme. The Department has not identified any implications arising from the report that require changes to existing policy, plans, or assumptions.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 January 2026 to Question 101931 and to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Question 12209 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge).

The final detail of the changes to the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio are currently being refined to maximise returns for Defence outputs.

The Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan, set out in Chapter 4 of the Defence Investment Plan, is being implemented as part of the Plan's delivery. Defence Reform is strengthening accountability, governance and delivery across the Department, while the efficiency programme is focused on improving productivity and delivering savings to support Defence outputs. Progress continues to be monitored through established governance arrangements, including the Reform and Efficiency Board. The Department will provide annual updates to Parliament on implementation of the Defence Investment Plan, with the first update expected in summer 2027.

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union is an example of this Government delivering on its commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.

The Security and Defence Partnership outlines that the UK will consider its participation in EU CSDP civilian and military crisis management activity. This cooperation can take many forms and officials are in discussions with the EU to explore potential options. Discussions on the necessary framework to support engagement with the EU’s civilian missions are underway.

The Government is supportive of the role EUFOR Althea has in driving regional security, and will continue to endorse the renewal of its mandate at the UN.

The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union is an example of this Government delivering on its commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.

The Security and Defence Partnership outlines that the UK will consider its participation in EU CSDP civilian and military crisis management activity. This cooperation can take many forms and officials are in discussions with the EU to explore potential options. Discussions on the necessary framework to support engagement with the EU’s civilian missions are underway.

The Government is supportive of the role EUFOR Althea has in driving regional security, and will continue to endorse the renewal of its mandate at the UN.

Under the UK Ministerial Code, the government does not disclose whether the Law Officers have advised on a matter or the content of any such advice.

We do not hold a central record of detailed funding at the unit level requested.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2026 to Question 36153, the Defence Investment Plan includes £200 million of further investment in deployable counter-drone technology to enhance the protection of Armed Forces personnel and operations against the growing threat posed by hostile drones. These capabilities are designed to be deployable and support Defence-wide requirements across the Armed Forces, rather than being associated with a particular military base. A breakdown of this investment by military bases in Scotland, England and Wales is therefore not available.

The Chair of the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan is remunerated in line with Ministry of Justice judicial salary arrangements for a Lord Justice of Appeal.

The figure of £452,018 published on the Direct Ministerial Appointment portal reflects the total cost to Government of the appointment and is not the Chair's salary alone. The figure includes the employer's pension contribution and other costs such as employer's National Insurance. Pension arrangements are administered in accordance with the relevant terms and conditions.

The Army continues to require an armoured mortar capability. Alternative delivery routes, including through the Heavy Protected Mobility (PM) programme are being considered. The Heavy PM programme remains in its concept phase, and no final procurement decision has been taken.

The Army has approved and is implementing a Deep Recce Strike Brigade to provide Corps-level (HQ ARRC) integration of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and precision strike capabilities, including novel one-way effectors. The 5th Generation Land Force programme will increase human-machine teaming, autonomy and decision advantage, further accelerating recce-strike capability across the force.

The Ministry of Defence places the safety and security of British military personnel stationed overseas as a top priority. Security arrangements are kept under continuous review and we ensure any measures in place remain proportionate, including in response to any changes in threat or risk.

We routinely assess the wider security environment and work closely with allies, partners and host nations to ensure that personnel remain appropriately supported and protected. For operational and security reasons, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific measures in place at individual locations.

Our UK Space Strategy places defence and national security alongside economic priorities, driven by a One Government approach that aligns investment and capability development with shared national goals.

Through the MoD Space Systems Portfolio, we are delivering a coherent, integrated set of space capabilities focused on assured availability, resilience, and seamless integration with the Integrated Force.

Additionally, the Defence Investment Plan enables targeted investment in Space Control, Space Domain Awareness, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and military satellite communications. SKYNET 6 is being developed “International by Design” to enhance interoperability and resilience with allied partners, supporting multinational operations and collective security.

The Ministry of Defence is starting a communications and engagement plan with those Service leavers who have an ongoing ex-Regular and Recall liability, as well as related audiences such as their families and employers.

This is taking forward the Strategic Defence Review recommendation to reconnect with the Strategic Reserve, who offer a deep pool of prior military skills and experience which could help provide strength in depth given heightened geopolitical instability and threats.

We wish to help relevant individuals clarify their recall liabilities and encourage them to update us with their latest skills and experience and interest in further service. We will provide more details in due course.

As the Minister for the Armed Forces and Chief of Defence Staff have trailed in recent Parliamentary Select Committee evidence sessions, we are planning to invite up to around 1,000 Strategic Reservists to join the wider UK Active Reserve and Regular Force participation in NATO’s Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER in spring 2027. This will be on a voluntary basis and for short durations. We will provide more details as plans mature.

The Ministry of Defence is starting a communications and engagement plan with those Service leavers who have an ongoing ex-Regular and Recall liability, as well as related audiences such as their families and employers.

This is taking forward the Strategic Defence Review recommendation to reconnect with the Strategic Reserve, who offer a deep pool of prior military skills and experience which could help provide strength in depth given heightened geopolitical instability and threats.

We wish to help relevant individuals clarify their recall liabilities and encourage them to update us with their latest skills and experience and interest in further service. We will provide more details in due course.

As the Minister for the Armed Forces and Chief of Defence Staff have trailed in recent Parliamentary Select Committee evidence sessions, we are planning to invite up to around 1,000 Strategic Reservists to join the wider UK Active Reserve and Regular Force participation in NATO’s Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER in spring 2027. This will be on a voluntary basis and for short durations. We will provide more details as plans mature.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer we gave on 19 March 2026 to Question 120766 to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr Rosindell):

The Royal Navy maintains a high state of operational readiness across its core capabilities, including the Continuous At Sea Deterrent, Carrier Strike, frigates, destroyers, submarines, aviation, the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Fleet is deployed globally to protect the UK’s security and interests, working alongside allies and partners.

It is important to understand readiness as a constant cycle with ships moving regularly through maintenance, training, deployment and recovery phases. For reasons of operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not give detailed information on past or current levels of readiness for individual Royal Navy warships.

Strategic and operational reporting arrangements for the Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) will be in place from 1 April 2027. This will include operational dashboards and performance measurement, with role-based reporting instituted once six months of AFRS data has been collected.

Boxer is a world-class vehicle that will boost our soldiers in a variety of military missions and scenarios across the globe. As I said in Parliament on 19 October 2026, the programme is hugely successful, delivering important capability and national benefit.

The Army will absolutely have the ability to recover and support Boxer vehicles on the battlefield, such as through the Boxer support variants and the wider force, including the Heavy Wheeled Recovery Vehicle which we will procure.

There has been no change to our order of 623 Boxer vehicles, of which over 500 are being built here in the UK, and we are buying 72 Boxer RCH Artillery vehicles.

The work in Telford, Stockport and plenty of other locations across the country is backing more than 1,000 British jobs.

The Minister for Veterans and People (MinVP) made the decision for Phase 0 camps to be paused on 19 March 2026.

The Armed Forces Recruiting Programme continues to progress in accordance with the agreed phased service commencement dates between January and April 2027. Implementation of the full solution is due to be completed by 30 September 2027.

The integrated digital platform is being delivered through the Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) programme. It is designed to provide a single, tri-Service recruitment platform, including the common data model, bringing together recruitment information and processes across the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force into a single governed architecture.

The programme plans for the integrated tri-Service digital platform to be available from Service Commencement Date 3 (SCD3) which is the point all three services will have transitioned.

The Defence Investment Plan includes provision to replace HMS Protector with a more modern vessel variant, maintaining the United Kingdom’s essential presence and supporting Government activities in the Arctic and around the British Antarctic Territory. Work is ongoing to assess the requirement and potential options for delivering the future ice patrol capability, under Project Shackleton. Further detail will be released in due course.

As my hon. Friend will know, we inherited a plan to operate HMS Protector into the late 2030s, but no plan to replace the vessel. We assessed that this was not a sustainable approach and therefore made provision in the Defence Investment Plan to replace our ice-breaking capability.

The Armed Forces Commissioner operates independently of Government in the exercise of her statutory functions. The Ministry of Defence has no role in the decisions concerning the scope and conduct of the Commissioner’s investigations. Any considerations related to the duration of the call for evidence on Phase 1 Training Establishments are matters for the Commissioner.

At Report Stage on 20 October 2026, the Government reiterated its commitment to delivering the manifesto pledge and will bring forward an amendment at Third Reading to deliver a visa fee waiver.

Ministers were not asked to approve the review because it was not a centrally coordinated Army policy review. Reviews were undertaken by individual Corps and Regimental Associations. Information on any changes made to affiliations is therefore not held centrally, and there is no centrally produced final outcome or report to publish.

Ministers were not asked to approve the review because it was not a centrally coordinated Army policy review. Reviews were undertaken by individual Corps and Regimental Associations. Information on any changes made to affiliations is therefore not held centrally, and there is no centrally produced final outcome or report to publish.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has established governance, assurance and contractual arrangements to identify administrative errors, understand their causes and hold suppliers to account where appropriate. These include performance monitoring, quality and assurance activity, and the investigation of identified failures.

The MOD actively manages supplier performance through its contractual arrangements. Where contractual requirements are not met, appropriate remedies may be applied, including Key Performance Indicator Failure Charges and other contractual deductions. Where contracts permit, contractual remedies have been applied in relation to Armed Forces pension administration.

Any further claims arising from pension administration errors are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the circumstances of each case, including the extent of supplier responsibility and the steps taken to mitigate and recover any loss.

The Department is taking significant steps to improve and refurbish military housing. Under the plans set out in the Defence Housing Strategy, 9 in 10 Defence homes will be modernised or upgraded, including over 10,000 homes that will be substantially refurbished or replaced through major renovation or new build programmes. This will be supported by £9.2 billion of investment over the next decade and delivered through the Defence Housing Service.

The Department is already delivering improvements to drive immediate and tangible benefits for Service families with upgrades already completed on 1,250 of the poorest-quality homes, while further improvement programmes are progressing across the UK Defence estate this Financial Year, including bringing 1,000 previously unavailable homes back into use, while targeted work to modernise occupied properties continues.

The Defence Investment Plan provides an additional £470 million over four years for security technology and infrastructure. Restricted Airspace has been applied to 50 Defence sites, with a further 170 expected in December 2026, while £15 million has been invested in remotely piloted and counter-uncrewed aerial systems and training over the past 18 months.

We are committed to fully funding the Defence Investment Plan and meeting our NATO commitment of 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035. At the Spending Review, we will set the target date for 3%.

The National Resilience Public Awareness Campaign is a Cabinet Office-led programme of public engagement delivered as part of the Home Defence Programme. The detail provided within the answer to Question 27196 remains extant. The launch of the campaign on 22/10/2026 does not change the answer.

Following the 2025 and 2026 pay agreement, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) continues to engage maritime trade unions on improvements to terms and conditions, including employment flexibilities and support for parents.

Recognising the need to reflect modern family life, a review of RFA personnel policies directed by the First Sea Lord has examined how best to support family life and career progression, including for mothers and parents serving in the RFA. The Ministry of Defence is considering the findings of this work to ensure that the RFA remains an attractive and sustainable career choice for current and future personnel.

Personnel already receive comprehensive maternity, paternity, adoption, carers’ and shared parental support, including enhanced leave, occupational health assistance and reasonable workplace adjustments and this provision remains under review.

Following the 2025 and 2026 pay agreement, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) continues to engage maritime trade unions on improvements to terms and conditions, including employment flexibilities and support for parents.

Recognising the need to reflect modern family life, a review of RFA personnel policies directed by the First Sea Lord has examined how best to support family life and career progression, including for mothers and parents serving in the RFA. The Ministry of Defence is considering the findings of this work to ensure that the RFA remains an attractive and sustainable career choice for current and future personnel.

Personnel already receive comprehensive maternity, paternity, adoption, carers’ and shared parental support, including enhanced leave, occupational health assistance and reasonable workplace adjustments and this provision remains under review.

The information requested is held by a third-party contractor under contractual arrangements and is not routinely held by the Ministry of Defence. The Department has requested the information required to answer the Question but has not yet received the necessary information from the contractor.

No sanctions against the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) are envisaged in relation to the Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) plates, which have been in service since 1981. Any reduction in protection is likely to be an effect of age, not faulty manufacture. The Ministry of Defence continues to work with suppliers to ensure that equipment provided to the Armed Forces meets the required standards and contractual obligations.

The Fruitless Payments figures reported in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 are published in accordance with HM Treasury's Managing Public Money guidance.

The Department has robust processes in place to ensure that losses are identified, assessed and reported accurately. The values reported in the Annual Report and Accounts represent the final assessed loss values.

The Fruitless Payments figures reported in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 are published in accordance with HM Treasury's Managing Public Money guidance.

The Department has robust processes in place to ensure that losses are identified, assessed and reported accurately. The values reported in the Annual Report and Accounts represent the final assessed loss values.

Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) is no longer used as the primary front and rear ballistic plate system. However, ECBA plates remain in service as side protection inserts when personnel are operating at the highest level of protection with the VIRTUS and OSPREY body armour systems, which are the Armed Forces' primary combat body armour solutions.

The Complex Geometry Body Armour (CGBA) project will shortly commence the Concept Phase which will explore opportunities to enhance body armour design and performance, with particular consideration given to Service women. At this stage of the project, the timetable (including the invitation to tender and subsequent contract award) has not yet been concluded.