Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many robots are deployed in the armed forces and how much funding for robotic development has his department made available.

The Ministry of Defence does not have a single agreed definition of the term 'robot'. While we operate a wide variety of autonomous platforms, the Department's policy is not to publish detailed information on certain specific capabilities on the grounds of operational security.

I want to see greater use of drones and autonomous systems across our Armed Forces to enhance their lethality and survivability. The Defence Investment Plan includes measures to support this ambition.