Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the status of the proposed P4E electronic upgrade for the RAF's Typhoon fleet.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2025 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) to Question 92198.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the latest estimated in service date for the RCH 155 artillery system with the British Army.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Mobile Fires Platform Project, which will deliver the Remote‑Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) wheeled artillery system, remains in its assessment phase and is subject to contract. It is therefore too early to confirm expected in‑service dates.
Good progress is being made through the joint UK–Germany Early Concept Demonstrator contract, which will enable shared trials and evaluation.
Assessment and demonstration activities will run concurrently to accelerate delivery and achieve a Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the latest estimated in-service date for HMS Venturer.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The first Type 31 frigate, HMS Venturer is scheduled to be ready for operations by the end of the decade.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to allocate one of the eight Type 26 frigates currently intended for the Royal Navy to Norway.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Working together with our Norwegian Partners we are assessing options for offering Type 26 build slots currently allocated to the Royal Navy to the Royal Norwegian Navy.
The Royal Navy will receive all eight Type 26 ships during the late 2020s and 2030s as planned. Norway's biggest ever defence procurement deal will see a combined fleet of 13 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates - eight British and at least five Norwegian - operate jointly in Northern Europe, significantly strengthening NATO's northern flank.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will give the latest estimated in-service date for HMS Belfast.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The T26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver eight world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates to replace the anti-submarine warfare T23s. All ships are expected to enter service from the late 2020s with the added advantage of working alongside up to six identical Royal Norwegian Navy vessels.
Type 26 Frigates will allow the Royal Navy to continue to play a leading role in the anti-submarine theatre of the North Atlantic, providing a crucial output to both NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ajax armoured vehicles had been delivered by General Dynamics to a) his Department and b) the Army as of 1 November 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As of 1 November 2025:
166 Capability Drop 3 platforms were accepted by the Ministry of Defence and 156 of these were delivered to the Army.