Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether spending on UK ground-based air defence and Integrated Air and Missile Defence effectors will be deferred until the 2030s.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to modernising the UK's air and missile defence capabilities, including ground-based systems such as Sky Sabre, to ensure robust national resilience as highlighted in the Strategic Defence Review. UK capabilities provide sovereign nation capability and support interoperability with NATO allies and partners. These capabilities, integrated with NATO Allies defend our homeland and contribute to the strength of the NATO Alliance.

The Government has committed £1 billion to Integrated Air and Missile Defence in line with the Strategic Defence Review, ensuring investment is prioritised against evolving threats as part of the future Integrated Force. The allocation of investment and timelines for Integrated Air and Missile Defence spending will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

It would not be appropriate to state stockpile levels of munitions for reasons of national security, but these remain under continuous review to maintain operational readiness.