Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many fully trained F35B pilots they expect to employ by 2030.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Workforce planning for the second tranche of Lightning is ongoing. However, I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a Royal Navy carrier battlegroup can redeploy from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific within four weeks.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
It is possible to redeploy a Royal Navy Carrier Led Maritime Task Group from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific Region within four weeks.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what defence assets they are sending to the Indo-Pacific region aside from the aircraft carriers; and whether the two offshore patrol vessels stationed in the region and the AUKUS agreement on nuclear submarines are part of the UK's tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
We will continue to utilise a variety of assets as appropriate in the Indo-Pacific, alongside other deployments, joint exercises and training programmes with partner nations to strengthen our regional defence cooperation. The forward deployment of two Offshore Patrol Vessels and the recent announcement of the AUKUS nuclear submarine programme are clear demonstrations of our increased engagement in the region. We continue to deepen and enhance our relationships in the area to place our approach to the Indo-Pacific on a long-term strategic footing.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, whether the UK army, the Royal Air Force, and most of the Royal Navy will remain in Europe so that the UK’s defence and security efforts remain focused on the Euro-Atlantic through NATO.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, the Euro-Atlantic will remain the UK's priority theatre of focus. NATO will remain the cornerstone of UK security, with the UK at the heart of the Alliance and offering the full spectrum of Defence capabilities.
Any specific policy changes or updates required related to Defence capability and force design will be determined following the publication of the Defence Command Paper.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the equipment spend planned for the army over the next five years is the largest of all the services.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Equipment spend forecasts are published in the annual Defence Equipment Plan and the supplementary data tables published alongside show the planned yearly spend for each Front-Line Command. Some equipment budgets are held outside the Front-Line Commands. These include Strategic Programmes (including Complex Weapons and the Global Combat Air Programme) and the Defence Nuclear Organisation. Army Command does not have the largest spend over the next five years.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2022-to-2032
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the UK's tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region described in the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, whether (1) they will speed up the order for F35B fighter aircraft, (2) Crowsnest will be fully accepted into service, (3) the successor to Crowsnest will be expedited, and (4) the planned deployment of HMS Prince of Wales will be brought forward to 2024.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Department has announced the intention to buy a further tranche of Lightning. However, details including the delivery profile remain subject to negotiation.
Turning to the CROWSNEST programme, which delivers Merlin Mk2 Airborne Surveillance and Control to the Royal Navy (RN), I can confirm that the capability was accepted into service in February 2021. CROWSNEST will fulfil the RN's organic Airborne Surveillance and Control capability until its current out-of-service date in 2029, to be replaced by a follow-on capability.
The Department continually assesses and reviews the effectiveness of its capabilities to inform decisions about where resources should be committed to treat the most pressing risks. The development of a successor to CROWSNEST is designed to ensure the continued delivery of Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Airborne Early Warning to the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) beyond its planned out of service date, and will be coherent with both developments in Uncrewed Air Systems, and other technologies maturing through the Future Combat Air System and the RN's Future Air Dominance System.
Finally, regarding HMS PRINCE OF WALES (PWLS), the UK maintains a Very High Readiness CSG whose planned and reactive deployments can be adjusted to achieve His Majesty's Government's objectives. The department does not comment on the detail or evolution of those plans, however, I can confirm that we remain committed to ensuring PWLS commences her operational programme, as planned, in Autumn 2023.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when HMS Prince of Wales will be operational and at sea again.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
We remain committed to ensuring HMS Prince of Wales commences her operational programme, as planned, in autumn 2023. This will include operational flying training and trials.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 6 March (HL5734), on which ships of the Littoral Response Groups the (1) Merlin Mk4, and (2) Wildcat, helicopters of the Commando Helicopter Force will be embarked.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Both the Merlin MK4 and Wildcat Mk 1 helicopters will embark on the Landing Platform Dock, Landing Ship Dock (Amphibious) and RFA ARGUS (as an Amphibious Support Ship) as necessary for Littoral Response Group operations.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Submarine Delivery Agency will take to ensure that mistakes made in the HMS Vanguard refit will not be repeated in HMS Victorious.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Submarine Delivery Agency is working with Babcock and the Royal Navy to fully review and ensure lessons learned from HMS Vanguard's Deep Maintenance Period will be applied to all subsequent Vanguard Class Deep Maintenance Projects.
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 purchase Multi-Role Support Ships for the Royal Navy; and whether such vessels are necessary for the future formation of Littoral Response Groups following retirement of the Albion-class Landing Platform Dock vessels.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Integrated Review 21 identified Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS) as the platforms to deliver Littoral Strike. The Littoral Strike concept is centred around two Littoral Response Groups (LRG) to deliver a sovereign capability, which can be combined into larger task group formations.
The MRSS programme remains in the concept phase, and the programme and procurement strategies will be decided following phase completion. The Royal Navy will continue to assess plans and are still working to the intended in-service dates.
On current plans, the Landing Platform Dock vessels are due to be retired in the early 2030s but will form part of the LRG until the MRSS come into service.