Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Philip Dunne and Oliver Heald

Monday 12th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

13. What recent investment he has made in (a) cyber-security and (b) unmanned aerial vehicles for the armed forces.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Philip Dunne)]

In addition to the sums identified by my right hon. Friend the Armed Forces Minister, in July of last year the Prime Minister announced a further investment in equipment for our armed forces, which included £75 million specifically for cyber-defence. The total recent investment in unmanned aerial vehicles for the armed forces in the current year is £233.5 million.

[Sir Oliver Heald]

On unmanned aerial vehicles, will my hon. Friend provide more information about the Watchkeeper tactical remotely piloted air system and when it will be available to our British Army units?

[Mr Dunne]

I am pleased to be able to tell my hon. and learned Friend that the Watchkeeper achieved its first initial operating capability last summer and was deployed with the Royal Artillery to Afghanistan between August and October last year. It immediately demonstrated its excellent, and potentially game-changing, tactical capability over Helmand. We expect Watchkeeper to be at full operating capability in April 2016.