Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has his Department has made in developing novel directed energy weapons.

Following the Strategic Defence Review, we have announced nearly £1 billion in further investment for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) this Parliament. This funding will ensure the DragonFire Laser DEW system enters service with the Royal Navy in 2027 and will enable a DEW capability to enter service with the British Army this decade. Accelerating these capabilities ensures our Armed Forces have access to cutting edge technologies as soon as possible.