Future Capability of the Armed Forces

Lord Mott Excerpts

Thursday 16th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Mott (Con)]

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to take part in this debate, which was secured and opened so powerfully by my noble friend Lord Harlech. I begin by referring the House to the register of interests, in particular my support for the charity Ukrainian Action, which provides humanitarian assistance, recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine. When you visit Ukraine, you see first hand not only the destruction caused by Russia’s illegal invasion but something else: I saw a country that continues to innovate, to manufacture and to adapt, despite fighting a war for its very survival. That resilience deserves not only our admiration but our attention, because Ukraine is no longer simply a recipient of military assistance; it has become one of Europe’s foremost centres of defence innovation, as highlighted earlier by the noble Lord, Lord Empey.

One of the defining lessons of this conflict is that innovation has become a strategic capability in its own right. Modern warfare is no longer determined solely by who possesses the most sophisticated equipment, but increasingly by who can improve it most quickly. Ukraine has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to shorten the cycle between identifying a problem on the battlefield, developing a solution, testing it under operational conditions and rapidly scaling production. That culture of continuous innovation is something all Ukraine’s allies should be studying carefully. I believe that Britain has much to learn from Ukraine, and Ukraine has benefited from our support.

That is why I believe the next phase of our partnership should place greater emphasis on defence industrial co-operation. The United Kingdom possesses one of the world’s leading defence technology sectors. Alongside our established defence companies, we have innovative SMEs developing autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and electronic warfare capabilities. These businesses have enormous expertise to offer, yet many tell us that procurement remains slow, that barriers remain high and that opportunities to work alongside Ukrainian partners are often more difficult than they should be. Of course, there must always be appropriate safeguards around defence exports, technology transfer and national security. No one would argue otherwise, but speed has become a capability in its own right, and procurement systems designed for peacetime must continue to evolve if they are to keep pace with modern conflict.

Ukraine is already moving in this direction. Earlier this month it expanded its drone deal framework, creating long-term partnerships centred on joint production, technology transfer, industrial co-operation and significantly faster approval processes for participating partners. More than 20 further countries are now in discussions on joining similar arrangements.

At the same time, only this week the European Union announced a new defence industrial partnership with Ukraine, recognising that it is no longer simply receiving capability but helping to shape Europe’s future defence industrial base. Our defence industry has much to contribute. Can the Minister update the House on what discussions the Government have had with Ukraine about establishing a similarly deep defence industrial partnership with the United Kingdom—one that enables greater collaboration between British defence technology companies and Ukrainian partners and supports faster technology transfer, joint production and defence exports where appropriate—including the status of the ongoing negotiations for the UK to join the drone deal?

Ukraine continues to defend not only its own sovereignty but the security of Europe. It also demonstrates remarkable ingenuity, resourcefulness and technological innovation under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. We should continue standing with Ukraine. We should continue learning from Ukraine, and we should build with Ukraine.