Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on replacing enhanced combat body armour for all deployed armed forces personnel.

The safety of personnel remains the Ministry of Defence’s top priority and we are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our forces and maintain operational readiness. Where it is appropriate, alternative body armour plates have been issued to those on high-threat deployments.

Work continues, at pace, to test and ensure the safety of sufficient Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) plates. To date 30% of the required number of ECBA plates have been scanned and are in the process of being distributed back to units. This is being prioritised based on operational requirements. It is anticipated that the most impacted users will receive tested ECBA plates by the end of this month.

The Tactical Ballistic Plate programme, which will replace both Osprey body armour and ECBA plates, is expected to deliver from 2027.