Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Enemy weapons detector in the hands of soldiers five years early, published on 14 February 2026, how many SONUS systems will be delivered to the British army in the (a) current and (b) next financial year.

The SONUS system is an Acoustic Weapon Locating capability part of a wider programme which is delivering the next generation of Weapon Locating Sensors to enhance the capabilities of the 5^th Regiment Royal Artillery.

In January 2026, Leonardo UK was awarded a contract to deliver eight SONUS Acoustic Weapon Locating Sensors to the British Army. This state-of-the-art technology will play a critical role in enhancing the Army’s ability to detect and locate weapon systems with precision and efficiency.

As part of the delivery schedule, 5th Regiment Royal Artillery will receive two sensors by the end of FY 2025-26, enabling the achievement of Minimum Deployable Capability. The remaining six systems will be delivered in FY 2026-27, achieving the Full Deployable Capability before year end.