Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to hasten the delivery of F-35 Lightning jets.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan outcome will inform any update to F-35 procurement timelines.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to have taken delivery of 74 F-35 Lightning jets.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department expects to take delivery of its 75th F-35 aircraft by the end of 2033.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to fit defensive laser systems to the UK's aircraft carriers.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers were designed with adaptability in mind, enabling capability upgrades throughout their service life. This flexibility ensures the Royal Navy can integrate emerging technologies and maintain operational advantage.
The Royal Navy remains committed to building combat mass while staying at the forefront of innovation. As part of this effort, a £316 million contract has been awarded to deliver the advanced DragonFire laser weapon system from 2027. This cutting-edge capability will augment the Type 45 destroyers and operate alongside the QEC carriers within the Carrier Strike Group, enhancing layered defence and future-proofing the fleet against evolving threats.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the UK's carrier battle groups will have a carrier-based, fully autonomous, unmanned air-to-air refuelling tanker.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy (RN) is exploring Fixed Wing Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) as an augmentation for the F-35B Lightning jets embarked on Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) carriers. This would be as a means of providing additional strike capability and air-to-air refuelling within the Hybrid Air Wing construct. The RN will work collaboratively with the Royal Air Force to evaluate emerging solutions for this capability.
Project Vanquish, the demonstration of a short take-off and landing jet- powered ACP to a QEC carrier, was recently announced by the First Sea Lord and is the first step to realising this ambition.
Investment decisions to support Strategic Defence Review recommendations are being developed by the Ministry of Defence and will be published in the Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the UK's carrier battle groups will have a carrier-based, fully autonomous, unmanned Carrier Onboard Delivery capability.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy recognises the potential of autonomous systems to enhance the resilience and flexibility of Carrier Strike operations. All options for a Carrier Onboard Delivery capability are being considered, and work is currently underway to explore unmanned, autonomous, Maritime Inter- and Intra-Theatre Lift (MITL) capabilities, including trials of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft capable of operating from Queen Elizabeth Class carriers.
This approach is consistent with the development of the Hybrid Air Wings recommended in the Strategic Defence Review. Investment decisions are being developed and will be published in the Defence Investment Plan.