Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the Royal Air Force.

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that the Royal Air Force should shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an immediate priority. As part of this transformation, uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Royal Air Force through a broad mix of capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness. The exact numbers of drones to be procured and the associated investment will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.