Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to work with NATO Allies on interoperability.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Government is committed to a NATO-first approach and is working with Allies to strengthen interoperability across the Alliance. The Strategic Defence Review directed Defence to establish a roadmap for delivering deeper interoperability with NATO Allies.

In response, Defence has developed the UK's Interoperability Roadmap, which we are now implementing, and which aligns with NATO's Interoperability Plan. The Roadmap focuses on improving the ability of the Armed Forces to operate seamlessly with Allies through common standards, digital integration, training, exercises and capability development.

The Defence Investment Plan reinforces this approach, placing NATO requirements and interoperability at the heart of UK capability planning by prioritising a transformed, NATO-first Integrated Force capable of deterring and fighting alongside Allies in the Euro-Atlantic.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 37 of his Department's document entitled Defence Investment plan, published 30 June 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased deployments to the High North on the capacity of Royal Marines; and what plans he has to (a) increase the number of Royal Marines and (b) cancel other commitments.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Royal Marines are the UK's specialists in amphibious, extreme cold weather and mountainous warfare. The Royal Navy has prioritised Commando Force outputs, with High North warfighting and wider Euro-Atlantic activity identified as a core task. As the Royal Marines' most demanding operational role, prioritising High North warfighting ensures the Commando Force remains ready to undertake a broad range of Defence tasks. Having deployed regularly to the High North for decades, they are able to meet these commitments within existing workforce capacity.

There are currently no plans to cancel other commitments as a result of increased activity in the High North and remain capable of delivering homeland defence, crisis response, maritime special operations, and other sovereign tasks as required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 40 of the DIP, what metric he plans to use to test the lethality of the Army.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The Defence Investment Plan sets out the ambition for the British Army to become ten times more lethal by 2035. This increase in lethality is not a single moment but a trajectory, assessed through the Army's ability to generate combat effects faster and more effectively than potential adversaries.

Progress is tracked against Army Command Plan milestones that reflect the transformation of fighting power. This approach, supported by investments in systems such as Project ASGARD, Challenger 3, and RCH-155, ensures the Army delivers a more lethal, tech-enabled force capable of deterring threats and defending the UK and NATO territory.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which uncrewed systems use AI-enabled swarms.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

While Defence is actively researching, developing and experimenting with autonomous and collaborative behaviours, including swarming concepts, these activities remain in the assessment, experimentation and capability development phases and have not yet matured to a level suitable for operational service.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, out of the 31,080 (April 26) RAF personnel how many of them are medically downgraded.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

At 1 April 2026 (most recently available data) 11.6% of UK full-time trained RAF personnel were graded Medically Non-Deployable (MND). Personnel graded as MND are not fit to deploy on Operations, they may be deployable on UK based exercises and should be able to work effectively for at least 32.5 hours per week. Personnel graded MND may require continued medical care, long term medication and access to secondary care facilities.

8.4% of RAF personnel were graded Medically Limited Deployable (MLD). Personnel with a grade of MLD are medically fit for duty with minor employment limitations. A grade of MLD requires a medical risk assessment to be carried out for deployment. The decision on that deployment will depend on the medical condition, individual function, the proposed employment, length of the deployment and the medical support available. As such, it should not be assumed that only those personnel graded Medically Fully Deployable are able to deploy.

This response presents Medical Deployability Standard (MDS) for full-time trained personnel as regular untrained personnel cannot deploy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when will production commence on the the first Hybrid Navy Carrier Air Wing.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Hybrid Air Wing is not a single product with one production start date. It is an evolving mix of crewed and uncrewed aircraft and one-way effectors that will be introduced incrementally. Delivery is already under way through the integration and trialling of uncrewed systems, supported by investment in Project PANTHEON and the UK Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines regular personnel are not deployable or medically downgraded.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

At 1 April 2026 (most recently available data) 10.4% of Royal Navy personnel and 7.2% of Royal Marines personnel were graded Medically Non-Deployable (MND). Personnel graded as MND are not fit to deploy on Operations, they may be deployable on UK based exercises and should be able to work effectively for at least 32.5 hours per week. Personnel graded MND may require continued medical care, long term medication and access to secondary care facilities.

9.3% of Royal Navy Personnel and 6.8% of Royal Marines personnel were graded Medically Limited Deployable (MLD). Personnel with a grade of MLD are medically fit for duty with minor employment limitations. A grade of MLD requires a medical risk assessment to be carried out for deployment. The decision on that deployment will depend on the medical condition, individual function, the proposed employment, length of the deployment and the medical support available. As such, it should not be assumed that only those personnel graded Medically Fully Deployable are able to deploy.

This response presents Medical Deployability Standard (MDS) for full-time trained personnel as regular untrained personnel cannot deploy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 45 of his department's Defence Investment Plan, published 30 June 2026, whether the £70 billion for new capabilities in the air domain from 2030 and 2035 is currently planned in the budget.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Investment Plan restated the government’s commitment to increase defence spending to 3% in the next Parliament, with funding and plans to be set out at the next spending review where defence will be the number one priority. Consistent with these ambitions, the Defence Investment Plan specifies the plan to invest at least £70 billion in new air domain capabilities between 2030 and 2035. These figures reflect current planning assumptions and future investment requirements, with expenditure continuing to be considered through the Ministry of Defence’s regular planning and budget-setting processes.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans that the £200 million of additional investment into counter drone technology will produce a capability that is operationally ready.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The pace of development and technological innovation of uncrewed aerial systems means the threat is in a state of constant change. To keep pace with the rapid evolution of the threat, counter drone capability needs to focus on spiral development, flexibility and modularity. The additional investment into counter drone technology will build on capability already in use and operationally proven and will ensure our Armed Forces are equipped with capability that keeps pace with the rapid evolution of the threat. We do not release details of in service dates for individual capabilities and protection areas where it would compromise operational security.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 42 of his department's Defence Investment Plan, published 30 June 2026, whether the £36 billion planned to be invested in the land domain between 2030 and 2035 is in the current budget.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The £36 billion of planned investment in the land domain between 2030 and 2035 reflects the Department's current planning assumptions for the period beyond the present Spending Review settlement.

Detailing funding for investments beyond 2029-30 will be set out as part of future Spending Reviews and subsequent budget-setting processes in the usual way.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 36 of his Department's Defence investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, what is his planned timetable for updating Parliament on the outcome of the review of future plans of Offshore Patrol Vessels.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Navy constantly reviews out-of-service dates to achieve maximum availability of its platforms for operational tasking. For operational security reasons, the Royal Navy does not release the out-of-service dates of individual platforms. The Class out-of-service date for OPV Batch 1 is 2028.

Following the Defence Investment Plan, which allocates £200 million to Offshore Patrol Vessels, future OPV deployment plans will be reviewed to ensure they remain aligned with Defence priorities.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 37 of his Department's document entitled Defence Investment plan, published 30 June 2026, if he will set out the novel funding mechanisms to increase the resilience and protection of critical underwater infrastructure.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As set out in the Defence Investment Plan, the Ministry of Defence will invest £330 million over the next four years in critical underwater infrastructure protection, including enhanced capabilities for RFA PROTEUS. We will also explore opportunities to partner with industry and investors on commercially provided solutions to increase the resilience and protection of associated capabilities. The timelines associated with programme delivery remain will be determined as specific capability solutions are down selected.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 41 of his Department's Defence Investment Plan, published 30 June 2026, what are the next generation of uncrewed aerial systems to replace legacy Watchkeeper drones.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project CORVUS aims to provide a replacement to the Army’s Watchkeeper Uncrewed Aerial System, which is being retired from service with an Out of Service Date of March 2027.

Project CORVUS is subject to ongoing competition, and it would therefore be inappropriate to provide further detail at this stage.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 26 of his Department's Defence Investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, what (a) definition and (b) measures of success does his Department have for its intention to outpace threats.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Investment Plan outlines how Defence will outpace threats through sustained investment in warfighting readiness, the rapid introduction of new capabilities, and the integration of advanced and emerging technologies across the force. This requires a model of constant innovation and there is therefore no end state for the Integrated Force.

Evidence gathered through force testing events, as well as lessons identified from contemporary conflicts, will ensure we constantly evaluate the impact of changing technology on our force design and the threat trajectory of our adversaries. The Secretary of State will receive an annual statement detailing how the integrated force model has changed in response to ensure accountability for the continual adaptation of the Integrated Force over time.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how will UK MOD protect AI IP while maximising dual-use frontier technology.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK MOD has an established policy for addressing Intellectual Property (IP), and all MOD projects are expected to set out a clear IP Strategy to ensure that IP is adequately protected, whilst securing maximum impact for our armed forces and value for money for the taxpayer.

The MOD will apply this policy to AI projects in the following ways:

1. Where AI technology is developed in-house by MOD research establishments, the IP in that technology will be owned by MOD and will be appropriately protected. Subject to any national security constraints, dual-use technology will be considered for exploitation in the wider economy, including through engagement with MOD’s wholly owned technology transfer company Ploughshare.

2. Where AI technology is developed by contractors on MOD’s behalf, our general policy is to leave the ownership of that technology with the contractors concerned, as they are best placed to pursue the commercial exploitation of that technology in other fields. MOD will take appropriate user rights in that technology to ensure that it can be fully exploited by our armed forces, and, subject to national security concerns, will encourage Industry to further exploit dual-use technology with other customers for the benefit of the wider economy.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current invested capital of the protected AI Investment Fund.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Of the £200 million AI investment fund and associated initiatives announced in the Defence Investment Plan, £7.2 million of that is existing committed activity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what does the partnership with Germany on the deep precision strike weapons entail.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The UK and Germany signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2026 which has enabled joint activities, including with industry, to align military requirements and invest in technical solutions under the Deep Precision Strike programme. The programme includes Stealthy Cruise and Hypersonic Glide Vehicle missile solutions. There is positive alignment between the UK and Germany on key programme parameters, including operational concepts and outline target in service dates into the 2030s. Joint UK and Germany teams are now focused on delivering the currently contracted technical work with industry as well as shaping follow on contracts, underpinned in the UK by the funding outlined under the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of the British Army’s regular forces are undeployable or medically downgraded.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

At 1 April 2026 (most recently available data) 10.5% of UK full time trade trained army personnel were graded Medically Non Deployable (MND). Personnel graded as MND are not fit to deploy on Operations, they may be deployable on UK based exercises and should be able to work effectively for at least 32.5 hours per week. Personnel graded MND may require continued medical care, long term medication and access to secondary care facilities.

14.3% of personnel were graded Medically Limited Deployable (MLD). Personnel with a grade of MLD are medically fit for duty with minor employment limitations. A grade of MLD requires a medical risk assessment to be carried out for deployment. The decision on that deployment will depend on the medical condition, individual function, the proposed employment, length of the deployment and the medical support available. As such, it should not be assumed that only those personnel graded Medically Fully Deployable are able to deploy.

This response presents Medical Deployability Standard (MDS) for all full-time trade trained army personnel, including Gurkhas and reservists.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timescale for the ordering of 12 F-35A aircraft.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the Noble Lady to the answer given to Question 16066 to the hon. Member for South Shropshire (Stuart Anderson) on 13 July 2026 in the House of Commons.

The exact delivery profile and date of F-35 aircraft is subject to negotiation between the UK and multinational Joint Program Office, but the UK anticipates taking delivery of the next batch of F-35 aircraft from the early 2030s.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what orders they have placed for the F-35B aircraft; and what is the timescale for placing further orders.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the Noble Lady to the answer given to Question 16066 to the hon. Member for South Shropshire (Stuart Anderson) on 13 July 2026 in the House of Commons.

The exact delivery profile and date of F-35 aircraft is subject to negotiation between the UK and multinational Joint Program Office, but the UK anticipates taking delivery of the next batch of F-35 aircraft from the early 2030s.

Found: Commissioner of HM Treasury, Government Whip (from 08/07/2022 to 05/07/2024) – – 4,479 4,479 Stuart Anderson

Found: Transport Manager(s): ANDRZEJ SZMILYK 19 OB2072937 SN AMEY OW LIMITED Director(s): PETER STUART ANDERSON

Found: Shafton, S728PH Authorisation: 1 vehicle(s) OB2093663 R UNITED DRILLING LIMITED Director(s): Stuart Anderson

Found: licence authorisation will be 104 vehicle(s) OM2072885 SN AMEY OW LIMITED Director(s): PETER STUART ANDERSON

Found: Authorisation: 2 vehicle(s), 1 trailer(s) OH2092972 SN AMEY OW LIMITED Director(s): PETER STUART ANDERSON

Found: SOUTHAMPTON, SO32 2PY Authorisation: 2 vehicle(s) OH2092972 SN AMEY OW LIMITED Director(s): PETER STUART ANDERSON