Asked by: Peter Fortune (Conservative - Bromley and Biggin Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the British Army.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The British Army has been actively procuring and developing drone (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) capabilities to enhance situational awareness, reconnaissance, and combat effectiveness. These efforts align with the broader modernisation goals outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. Current examples include Project CORVUS and Project TIQUILA.
Asked by: Peter Fortune (Conservative - Bromley and Biggin Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had recent discussions with defence companies on the potential impact of protests on those businesses.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence tracks risks to the defence sector as part of its routine monitoring of supply chain resilience, this includes engagement with suppliers. Some UK defence companies, including Elbit Systems UK, have faced costs and disruption due to criminal damage and staff intimidation by groups such as Palestine Action. We are working with the Police to address these offences and mitigate future risks. While individual businesses have been affected, the overall impact on Defence has been limited, with no significant effects reported on the defence supply chain or the reputation of our world leading defence industry.
Asked by: Peter Fortune (Conservative - Bromley and Biggin Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with Elbit Systems UK on the potential impact of protests on its sites.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence tracks risks to the defence sector as part of its routine monitoring of supply chain resilience, this includes engagement with suppliers. Some UK defence companies, including Elbit Systems UK, have faced costs and disruption due to criminal damage and staff intimidation by groups such as Palestine Action. We are working with the Police to address these offences and mitigate future risks. While individual businesses have been affected, the overall impact on Defence has been limited, with no significant effects reported on the defence supply chain or the reputation of our world leading defence industry.
Asked by: Peter Fortune (Conservative - Bromley and Biggin Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the Royal Air Force.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review recommends that the Royal Air Force should shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an immediate priority. As part of this transformation, uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Royal Air Force through a broad mix of capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness. The exact numbers of drones to be procured and the associated investment will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
Asked by: Peter Fortune (Conservative - Bromley and Biggin Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the Royal Navy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. As we increase lethality of our forces and prepare for warfighting readiness uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Royal Navy's surface, air and undersea capabilities over the next five years, with the exact numbers and levels of investment apportioned to these systems to be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan, to be published later this year.