MOD Security Review

Louise Sandher-Jones Excerpts

Monday 8th September 2025 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Louise Sandher-Jones)]

Further to the statement made by the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport (Luke Pollard), on Monday 23 June 2025, I wish to give an update on the MOD Security Review. The strategic defence review, which reported earlier this year, identified defence sites, including RAF Brize Norton, as needing further investment. After many years of under-investment and hollowing out under the previous Administration, we have identified the physical security of our sites as an area of greater focus. The Department is using in-year funding to deliver physical security enhancements at pilot sites across the defence estate. We will roll-out to further prioritised sites in line with security threat assessments.

As the House will know, in the early hours of Friday 20 June 2025, Palestine Action, now a proscribed organisation, managed to penetrate RAF Brize Norton and damage RAF Voyager aircraft.

Not only was this an act of vandalism; it was a direct attack on our national security. Our personnel stationed at RAF Brize Norton serve with total dedication and professionalism. They work tirelessly to support our armed forces deployed across the world, deliver military assistance to Ukraine, and have been formally recognised for their contribution in flying humanitarian aid into Gaza. As such, this act did nothing to further the path to peace.

Immediately following the attack, all RAF sites were raised to “high alert”. Following this, we have maintained an “enhanced vigilance” security posture across all defence sites. This includes increased patrols with greater visibility, placing guard forces at heightened readiness, ensuring CCTV, gates and barriers are in good order, and directing improved security awareness and behaviours across the defence estate. These remain in place.

RAF Brize Norton is now operating an upgraded and automated track-and-detect system covering all operational air frames and linked to a central control room. This means more areas can be monitored and tracked, with a faster response from quick reaction forces. This approach is being rolled out to other priority RAF sites.

Advanced technical security enhancements are also being installed to ensure our sites are secure by design. We are significantly investing in a broader programme of technology, such as drones. MOD Police teams are accelerating the deployment of remote piloted aerial systems to deliver a specialist policing capability at our most secure sites. We will expand this programme to enhance the security and guarding provision across priority sites, and we are working with industry to rapidly procure enduring technological solutions.

RPAS is a proven capability to deepen security effect. Establishments and their personnel will benefit through the increased security and protection that routine RPAS use provides, including increased situational awareness, intelligence gathering and increased patrolling efficiency of not only the establishments but the surrounding areas. We have approved funding for eight high-priority sites, with an intention to invest across a further 31 priority sites as a matter of urgency.

Defence is also looking at options to further enhance the physical infrastructure in place at its sites, alongside the technological improvements referenced above, to prevent unauthorised access. This approach will be piloted at RAF Coningsby and RAF Waddington.

The permanent secretary has approved £20 million funding for a digital transformation of security within the MOD. This will improve our understanding of the dependencies of defence critical national infrastructure, risk and assurance of physical security, and enable better real-time situational awareness of security incidents.

However, improving security is not just about physical changes. It is also about investing in our people. To support this programme of enhanced vigilance, we are accelerating recruitment of MOD Police, MOD Guard Service and Military Provost Guard Service through targeted campaigns and considering financial incentives for the sites with the greatest recruitment challenges.

We take improving security very seriously as we move our armed forces to warfighting readiness. Identifying and responding to security breaches is a core part of defence’s daily business, whether through vigilance on the ground, intelligence-led policing, or rapid incident response. We work closely with policing and partners to stay ahead of emerging threats and take robust action where necessary. Alongside these immediate measures, we are assessing further medium and long-term improvements through the defence investment plan process this autumn.

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