Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.7 of the Spring Statement, published on 26 March 2025, how many Royal Navy ships will operate a Directed Energy Weapon by 2027.

As announced in the Spring Statement, part of the additional funding for Defence will be invested in advanced technology, including putting the DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons on four Royal Navy ships, starting from 2027. This is not the totality of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s investment in DEW, and we will wait for the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review and Spending Review before making further announcements on plans for DEW capability. Defence remains committed to bringing novel capabilities to our Armed Forces faster than before, and our Defence Reform efforts will help to set MOD up to deliver this.