Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 76 of his department's Strategic Defence Review, published 2 June 2025, what progress has been made on bolstering capabilities of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.

The UK’s defence engagement with Indo-Pacific partners supports mutual capability development through a combination of joint exercises and capability collaboration programmes, including AUKUS and the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Operation HIGHMAST last year provided an opportunity for the UK’s Armed Forces to exercise complex operations alongside partners and allies in the region, including Exercise BERSAMA LIMA with Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) partners.