Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Command Paper Refresh, published on 18 July 2023, who is leading the process of redesigning the Defence Operating Model.

As set out in the Defence Command Paper 'Defence's response to a more contested and volatile world', published on 18 July 2023, much has changed in the decade since the Levene Review. In Spring 2023, we commissioned a review of the Defence Operating Model to optimise our response to the current dynamic threat environment.

‘Defence Design’ is led and directed by the Defence Executive Committee, supported by a small team who are engaging with experts and colleagues from across Defence, wider government, industry and academia.

As we design the future operating model, we will pilot improvements in priority areas across the system to drive change iteratively and quickly, aiming for significant changes to be in place from April 2024. Most of the work is anticipated to be completed within 18 and 24 months, however, we expect to regularly review and iterate our Operating Model to ensure it meets our needs thereafter.