Asked by: Mark Logan (Conservative - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Italian and (b) Japanese counterparts on the potential entry of Saudi Arabia into the Global Combat Air Programme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has regular conversation with our trilateral Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) partners on a range of issues. All three GCAP nations have highlighted our openness to working with other nations through this programme, while keeping us on course for 2035 In Service Delivery. With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we signed a Statement of Intent on the 1 March 2023, launching a Partnering Feasibility Study to define the future of our historic Combat Air partnership.
Asked by: Mark Logan (Conservative - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the use of artificial intelligence for the Armed Forces in AUKUS Pillar Two.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
AUKUS Pillar Two, continues to accelerate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Autonomy to provide the technological edge in our warfighting capability through prototyping, experimentation, and acquisition.
In April 2023, the first AUKUS AI and Autonomy trial was held at Upavon in Wiltshire. The trial achieved several world firsts, including the live retraining of models in flight and the interchange of AI models between AUKUS nations. Trilateral partners will look to rapidly drive these technologies into responsible military use.
Asked by: Mark Logan (Conservative - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help increase transatlantic quantum technology cooperation.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has a range of specific bilateral and multilateral collaborations ongoing that cover quantum technologies, including through NATO (both the US and Canada) and AUKUS Pillar Two (advanced capabilities) with the US. We also support the development of HMG wide international cooperation on quantum technologies, such as the National Quantum Strategy led by the Secretary of State for DSIT, which has included supporting the signature of a UK/US letter of intent on quantum cooperation.
Asked by: Mark Logan (Conservative - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his Japanese counterpart on the UK-Japan defence agreement agreed in January 2023.
Answered by James Heappey
Since the UK and Japanese Prime Ministers signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement in January 2023, we have discussed progress frequently with Japan, including at Ministerial level. The Defence Secretary looks forward to speaking with his new Japanese counterpart and discussing how to take forward engagement under the treaty.
Asked by: Mark Logan (Conservative - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made with NATO allies on assessing security risks emanating from the High North.
Answered by James Heappey
The High North is changing rapidly. This poses both opportunities and challenges for the UK. His Majesty's Government is committed to working with regional Allies and partners, including NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force and the Northern Group to align policy, activity, and capability where possible and across all domains, including sharing assessments of the risks emanating from the High North. We have also actively forged Arctic-specific partnerships where we discuss regional risks, and remain a proactive member of the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable, a forum in which Allies share information on the changing environment, improve collective awareness of and de-conflict activity in the Arctic, and identify opportunities for further co-operation.
Asked by: Mark Logan (Conservative - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support the Global Combat Air Programme between the UK, Japan and Italy.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has a £10 billion budget to support the programme over the next ten years. We have invested £1 billion in R&D to develop the skills and technologies required, with a further £1 billion planned. This has been supported by an further significant investment from our core UK industry partners (BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK). Together, we are delivering advanced industrial technologies including digital design and additive manufacturing facilities, as at BAE Systems' Factory of the Future in Lancashire, and recruiting people from across the country with specialist skills in areas such as software engineering.
Asked by: Mark Logan (Conservative - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to deter Russian aggression towards Ukraine; and what steps he plans to take in the event of an escalation of that situation.
Answered by James Heappey
Defence has a longstanding relationship with Ukraine and continues to provide support in many areas including security assistance and defence reform. Since 2015, the UK has helped build the resilience and capacity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through Operation ORBITAL which has trained around 22,000 Ukrainian troops. The UK is committed to the stability, prosperity and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
We have significant concerns about Russia's aggressive pattern of military build-ups on Ukraine's border and in illegally-annexed Crimea. We remain clear that Russia's threatening and destabilising behaviour is unacceptable. We will continue to monitor events on the ground closely and call on Russia, alongside our Allies and Partners, to adhere to its international obligations and commitments.