Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how asymmetric capability development is being balanced against traditional platform-heavy procurement.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) supports the rapid introduction of new capabilities and the integration of advanced and emerging technologies across the force. Capability choices are being informed by lessons from recent and ongoing conflicts, and via Force Testing activity, with investment focused on delivering a more lethal and digitally enabled Integrated Force, optimised for warfighting in the Euro-Atlantic.

The DIP sets out how the Integrated Force will draw on a more varied mix of equipment and weapons, combining advanced platforms and precision weapons with autonomous technologies and lower-cost, expendable effectors. This approach will increase the mass, lethality and resilience of the Integrated Force, while ensuring that investment remains threat-led, affordable and aligned with NATO requirements.