Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the early retirement of Puma Helicopters on capability gaps.

The Ministry of Defence takes a rigorous approach in assessing the risk of any capability gaps. The Department is exploring options to fulfil some short-term capability gaps in Cyprus and Brunei before the H-145 platform enters services from 2026. Defence's Strategic Objectives will continue to be fulfilled.