Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral statement of the Prime Minister of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, column 631, whether it remains his policy to proceed with the decommissioning of the Puma helicopter fleet.

The phased retirement of the 14 oldest Chinook helicopters over the next four years, synchronised with the delivery of replacement state-of-the-art Chinook H-47 (Extended Range) from 2027 onwards, represents the optimal transition that delivers the new aircraft and trained aircrew.

Likewise, it remains the Department's position to retire Puma on 31 Mar 25 while the new Airbus H145 HC2 Jupiter helicopter will enter service from 2026 in both Brunei and Cyprus. In the interim, the Department continues to assess any capability gaps and will deploy Chinook to Cyprus in support of the wildfire season.