Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral contribution of 25 November 2021, Official Report, column 483, when the new deep recce strike brigade combat team will be (a) equipped and (b) operational.

The regiments that will comprise the 1st Deep Recce Strike Brigade Combat Team (BCT) are already equipped and operational; they will be brought together through the merger of 1st Artillery Brigade and 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade in Summer 2022. The Integrated Review has set the Armed Forces on a course of transformation to meet the threats of the future and as part of this process equipment will be retired and, as appropriate, replaced.