Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has (a) allocated to and (b) spent on the air protection laser self-protection system.

Defence is working with several industry partners to generate a UK Defensive Aids Suite in order to provide Air Platform Protection for all three services. Under the banner of Team Pellonia, working with Thales, Leonardo, and Chemring Countermeasures, Air Command, supported by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), is cohering activity to generate and deliver a future suite of air platform protection measures, of which a laser self-protection system is one component. Supported by research funding from various areas within The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and now a Defence Equipment and Supply (DE&S) Programme, successful trials involving scientists from Dstl and Industry Partners on the Air Protection Laser Self-Protection System offer an example of joint working between the MOD and the UK Defence Industry.

Detailed Programme costs cannot be provided in the interests of National Security.