Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is an approved staff requirement for a sixth generation manned fighter; and if so, whether the number of (1) manned aircraft, and (2) supporting Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), has been accepted as part of the defence programme.

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is being designed to deliver sixth-generation capabilities for UK combat air, to meet the requirement for a replacement for Typhoon. The FCAS programme entered the Concept and Assessment Phase in summer 2021. This phase will define and begin design of the system, mature key technologies and invest in the skilled workforce and advanced industrial capabilities needed to deliver it, helping us to identify an optimal future force mix and enable major programme choices by 2024.