Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the test flight of the General Atomics YFQ-42 drone.

This Government launched the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) which set out the pathway for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence. A key part of the SDR's vision for UK defence is innovation driven by lessons from Ukraine - harnessing drones, data, and digital warfare to make our Armed Forces stronger and safer. The SDR recommends that the Royal Air Force should shift towards the greater use of uncrewed systems 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. This Government is investing an additional £2 billion this Parliament into autonomous systems, including drones, and will establish a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre at initial operating capability by February 2026.

The exact types of uncrewed systems to be procured and the associated investment will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.