Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2026, to question 32196 on Skynet: Procurement, what are the requirements for the a) country of manufacture and b) Assembly, Integration & Test for the SKYNET Enduring Capability Wideband Satellite System competition.

The SKYNET Enduring Capability Wideband Satellite System competition requires the winning Bidder to undertake specific detailed activities within the UK, namely that:

1. The company’s system Design Authority must consist of UK-based resources in UK locations;
2. Assembly, Integration and Test of the satellites must take place in secure facilities in the UK; and
3. A minimum number of key named sub-systems must come from UK sources, which includes sub-system design activity and manufacture.

These requirements focus on delivering in the UK those activities that drive technological superiority and ensure continued access to critical skills and facilities in the UK.

Each of Assembly, Integration and Test are separately defined in detail in the contract, such that at the earliest point that component parts and sub-systems are combined together to build the spacecraft this must be undertaken in secure, space-qualified facilities in the UK.