Apr. 18 2024
Source Page: AUKUS defence ministers joint statement: April 2024. 8p.Found: AUKUS defence ministers joint statement: April 2024. 8p.
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Developing AI capacity and expertise in UK DefenceFound: DAIC0006 - Developing AI capacity and expertise in UK Defence BT Business Written Evidence
Written Evidence Feb. 20 2024
Inquiry: Future Aviation CapabilitiesFound: is mature, being developed in partnership with UK best of breed partners Maturity Value to UKSovereign
Mar. 21 2024
Source Page: AUKUS Trilateral statement: 22 March 2024Found: Trilateral Statement 22 March 2024 The Honourable Richard Marles MP , Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has (a) allocated to and (b) spent on the DragonFire programme.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapons accelerated programme, announced in April 2024 by the Secretary of State for Defence, will see £350 million in government investment by April 2027 to deliver minimum deployable capability. The accelerated programme is based on the DragonFire technology demonstrator which has seen £100 million of joint investment from MOD and UK industry since 2017. With £50 million funded by MOD and an additional £50 million funded by industry partners. The MOD is committed to the continued investment in UK Sovereign DEW technology, to provide cutting edge capability to the Armed Forces at pace.
Mentions:
1: Lord Lee of Trafford (LD - Life peer) My Lords, in 2022 the then Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, told the International Relations and Defence - Speech Link
2: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab - Life peer) What risk analysis has the MoD undertaken to assess the value of high-capability platforms versus airframe - Speech Link
3: Earl of Minto (Con - Excepted Hereditary) The key is that, as the threat changes, we need to change the capability to meet it. - Speech Link
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy o the ability of the UK to field a wholly sovereign Carrier Strike Group.
Answered by James Heappey
The composition and size of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployments are tailored to meet the operational requirement and all options are continuously reviewed to ensure optimum Royal Navy output. A UK Carrier Strike Group can routinely deploy and operate with allies and partners, including those from Joint Expeditionary Force and NATO. Regardless of any integration of international escorts and aircraft during a deployment, we will always retain a sovereign capability giving us the ability to operate the UK Carrier Strike Group in an independent sovereign manner.
Mentions:
1: James Cartlidge (Con - South Suffolk) Lady about the importance of sovereign defence capability, and not just because of the economic benefits - Speech Link
2: Chris Stephens (SNP - Glasgow South West) What assessment he has made of the security of the sovereign base areas and the armed forces in Cyprus - Speech Link
3: James Heappey (Con - Wells) The SBAs are sovereign bases, so of course we reserve the right to operate from them as needed, based - Speech Link
4: James Cartlidge (Con - South Suffolk) Of course, training is fundamental to bringing in the next generation to man our capability. - Speech Link
Written Evidence Mar. 26 2024
Inquiry: Future Aviation CapabilitiesFound: FAVC0023 - Future Aviation Capabilities Ministry of Defence Written Evidence
Written Evidence Mar. 20 2024
Inquiry: Defence Spending in Northern IrelandFound: DSN0003 - Defence Spending in Northern Ireland Spirit AeroSystems Written Evidence