Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend occasional visits by warships exercising their right of innocent passage, such as that by HMS Medway to Puerto Arenas in Chile, and elsewhere, to continue.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy will continue to deploy warships globally in support of the United Kingdom’s defence, security and international engagement objectives. Royal Navy vessels routinely exercise their navigational rights in accordance with international law, including the right of innocent passage where applicable, and undertake port visits and defence engagement activities with allies and partners around the world.
Recent examples of Royal Navy global deployments include HMS Medway operating in the South Atlantic, HMS Trent conducting security and defence engagement activity in the United States and the Caribbean, HMS Spey and HMS Tamar maintaining the United Kingdom's persistent Indo-Pacific presence, and the UK Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Prince of Wales undertaking operations with NATO Allies in the North Atlantic and High North. These activities demonstrate the routine global nature of Royal Navy deployments in support of defence, security and international engagement objectives.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 16 July (HL1645), whether any aircraft other than the 11 Hawk were deployed for transport, spares and support; and how all personnel were transported.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The 117 personnel deployed to the United States of America as part of the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team were transported through a mix of military support aircraft, primarily A400M, and civilian aircraft. No other aircraft were deployed for the duration of the tour.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the rise in the price of tungsten is impacting the UK defence industry.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is aware of increases in global tungsten prices and continues to monitor developments in critical mineral markets. Tungsten is used in a range of defence and industrial applications, including specialist components, advanced materials and manufacturing tooling. The Ministry of Defence is working with the Department for Business and Trade along with other departments to improve understanding of demand for critical minerals, including tungsten and assess the implications of international market developments.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost of the operation of the Red Arrows display team visit to the United States of America, and whether it is funded in total or in part by the American government.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The cost of the tour is currently estimated at £1.6 million. This cost will be met primarily from the Red Arrows' existing flying hours allocation for the Financial Year 2026-27. A proportion of these costs would have been incurred irrespective of the US tour, as the Red Arrows would have continued to meet their display commitments in the UK.
The United States Government has not contributed funding towards the tour.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many aircraft, specifying the type, and how many personnel have been deployed as part of the Red Arrows display team visit to the United States of America.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Eleven Hawk T Mk 1 aircraft and 117 personnel have been deployed to the United States of America as part of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (the Red Arrows).
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason Maritime Counter-Terrorism forces are not used to interdict ships of the Russian shadow fleet when transiting the Channel or other waters close to the UK.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is committed to countering the Russian Shadow Fleet, a web of rising shadow activity that fuels and finances nefarious activity across the globe, which helps it fuel its illegal war in Ukraine. We are determined to tackle sanctions evasion and shadow fleet activity that threatens our national security and undermines global trade. Working in concert with our allies and partners, we will use the range of tools at our disposal to crackdown on sanctions evasion and illegal maritime activity.
The UK has undertaken a range of actions, such as sanctioning over 500 vessels, to disrupt and deter shadow fleet activity. HMG, including the MOD, is working with international allies to intensify action to have a more assertive approach to counter sanction busting vessels, whilst upholding the international law of the sea.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 18 December 2025 (HL13064), whether only one Type 45 destroyer in the Royal Navy is operational.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Type 45 destroyers HMS Dauntless, Dragon and Duncan are operational.
Type 45 Power Improvement Project upgrades remain on target and Class availability is maximised to ensure that the Royal Navy has been able to fulfil all of its operational commitments.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to hasten the delivery of F-35 Lightning jets.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan outcome will inform any update to F-35 procurement timelines.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to have taken delivery of 74 F-35 Lightning jets.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department expects to take delivery of its 75th F-35 aircraft by the end of 2033.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to fit defensive laser systems to the UK's aircraft carriers.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers were designed with adaptability in mind, enabling capability upgrades throughout their service life. This flexibility ensures the Royal Navy can integrate emerging technologies and maintain operational advantage.
The Royal Navy remains committed to building combat mass while staying at the forefront of innovation. As part of this effort, a £316 million contract has been awarded to deliver the advanced DragonFire laser weapon system from 2027. This cutting-edge capability will augment the Type 45 destroyers and operate alongside the QEC carriers within the Carrier Strike Group, enhancing layered defence and future-proofing the fleet against evolving threats.