Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the 2026 Defence Investment Plan, paragraph 68, what assessment he has made of changes to the vertical lift capability and capacity available to UK Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defence routinely assesses the vertical lift capability and capacity required to meet Defence outputs and future operational requirements. Operational analysis has confirmed an enduring requirement for both Medium and Heavy Vertical Lift capabilities, which perform complementary roles across a range of military tasks and operating environments.

The retirement of the Puma fleet has resulted in a temporary reduction in Medium Vertical Lift capacity pending the introduction of the New Medium Helicopter capability, which is expected to enter service from 2030-31. This reflects the replacement of an increasingly obsolete fleet with a modern platform and is intended to deliver a more sustainable medium-lift capability for the long term.

Within Heavy Vertical Lift, the Chinook fleet is undergoing a managed transition. Fourteen new H‑47(Extended Range) aircraft are being introduced through the Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme Tranche 1, with the first aircraft expected to be delivered to the United Kingdom from 2027.

Separately, the oldest Chinook Mk6A aircraft are being retired as they become increasingly costly and difficult to sustain. Their replacement will be delivered through the Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme Tranche 2 from the early 2030s. This creates a temporary reduction in Heavy Vertical Lift capacity during the transition period before replacement aircraft are delivered and brought into service.

The Department has assessed that these temporary reductions reflect the planned replacement of ageing platforms and are necessary to deliver modernised Medium and Heavy Vertical Lift capabilities. The Defence Investment Plan provides for the recapitalisation of both capabilities through the New Medium Helicopter programme and the Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme, ensuring the Armed Forces retain the vertical lift capabilities required to meet future operational demands.

The Department's assessment is that temporary reductions in both Medium and Heavy Vertical Lift capacity are a consequence of replacing ageing fleets with more capable and sustainable aircraft. These reductions are understood, planned for, and addressed through the New Medium Helicopter programme and the two-tranche Chinook recapitalisation programme.