Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when is the Integrated Air, Space and Missile Defence Operations Centre expected to be integrated.

In recognition of the growing air and missile threat, the Strategic Defence Review committed to enhance the UK’s homeland air and missile defences, with £790 million of new money for homeland IAMD subsequently announced in the Defence Investment Plan. This investment is focused on improving national air and missile defence Command and Control and Sensing capabilities, to make best use of our existing effectors and air defences. This funding includes investing in a National Air and Space Operations Centre (NASOC which fulfils the Integrated Air and Space Missile Defence Operations Centre (IASMDOC) capability. The NASOC will be critical to coordination of national response to any future air and missile attack.

NASOC funding will commence in the coming years with a view to it providing operational capability in the early 2030s. Whilst specifics cannot be disclosed to ensure protection of national security arrangements, the growing air and missile threat is central to our thinking and potential future investments. Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be considered by the NASOC Programme, in support of timely and efficient operational decision making. However, the scale and breadth of any potential AI employment is to be determined.