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Written Question
Defence Equipment: Land Mines
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) minefield breaching systems and (b) Trojan armoured engineer vehicles remain in use by the army; and whether he has plans to (i) retire and (ii) dispose of existing minefield breaching systems.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There are three types of minefield breaching systems currently in use with the British Army and there are no current plans to retire or dispose of any of them.

As per the annual published statistics on Armed Forces’ Equipment and Formations, there are currently 32 Trojan platforms in service. The latest publication of these statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-equipment-and-formations-2023.


Written Question
Ukraine: Defence Equipment
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Minefield Breaching System’s have been donated to Ukraine since February 2022.

Answered by James Heappey

The UK has provided considerable equipment and training to Ukraine to improve their ability to clear mines. This has included over 1,500 sets of both vehicle-mounted and 'on-the person' mine clearing and explosive ordnance disposal equipment, including necessary training.

Several mine clearance capabilities are included in the UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine Maintenance and Manoeuvre support package, which was announced in October 2023.


Written Question
Ukraine: Chinook Helicopters
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Chinooks have been donated to Ukraine since February 2022.

Answered by James Heappey

The UK has not donated any Chinook to Ukraine.


Written Question
Challenger Tanks
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the size of the Challenger 2 tank fleet; whether it remains his policy that 148 existing Challenge 2 tanks will be upgraded to the Challenger 3 programme; and what his plans are for those tanks not scheduled for upgrade.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There are 213 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks in service. It remains the Department’s policy to build 148 Challenger 3 tanks. A decision on what will happen to the remaining Challenger 2 platforms has not yet been taken.


Written Question
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what types of FV107 Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles (a) went out of service and (b) remain in service since November 2022; how many out of service FV107 Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles have been disposed of; and of those disposed how many were (i) managed through the Defence Equipment Sales Agency and (ii) sold externally including to whom they were sold.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As at 31 March 2023 no FV107 Scimitar remain in service, with 102 withdrawn since November 2022.

Since November 2022, through the Defence Equipment Sales Agency, one FV107 Scimitar has been disposed of and 18 have been sold externally. I am withholding the details of the end customers due to commercial confidentiality.


Written Question
Tanks
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any (a) Chieftain and (b) Challenger 1 tanks remain in storage.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department does not hold any Chieftain or Challenger 1 Main Battle Tanks in storage.


Written Question
Warrior Vehicles
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many warrior armoured fighting vehicles are (a) in service, (b) set to be retired and (c) declared for disposal since November 2022.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

There are currently 625 Warrior in service. Activity is ongoing to draw the Warrior fleet down to the post-Integrated Review 21 funded position of 540 platforms and to reflect the Future Soldier structure. On current planning, Warrior will be retired from service by the end of 2030.

Across the initial tranches of disposal, 172 platforms were identified. Two tranches were completed prior to November 22, and 138 of the 172 platforms have been declared for disposal since this date.


Written Question
Chinook Helicopters: Decommissioning
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Chinooks (a) have been and (b) are scheduled to be retired since February 2022; and what his Department's policy is on disposing these helicopters.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Following the Integrated Review, nine Chinook airframes are being retired from the fleet of 60. Four airframes have been retired so far with the remaining five due to be withdrawn from service by 2025.

Retired airframes will be disposed of in accordance with normal Ministry of Defence policy.


Written Question
Ukraine: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many FV107 Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles have been donated to Ukraine since February 2022.

Answered by James Heappey

The UK has not donated any FV107 Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles to Ukraine.


Written Question
Ukraine: Warrior Vehicles
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Warrior vehicles have been donated to Ukraine since February 2022.

Answered by James Heappey

The UK has not donated Warrior vehicles to Ukraine.