Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Whether he plans to roll out the Royal Navy’s (a) Combat Sports Initiative and (b) the Combat Sister Project nationwide.

The Ministry of Defence are pleased that volunteers from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines plan to continue to deliver the Combat Sports Initiative and Combat Sister Project in 2026, at locations across the UK. These initiatives are not Ministry of Defence led; they are independently delivered on a voluntary basis by Service personnel in their own personal time. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines encourage personnel to engage in meaningful voluntary activity within their communities and wishes the programme every success going forward.

Which Royal Artillery regiments will be equipped with RCH155.

On current plans, RCH 155 will initially be fielded to 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, 4th Regiment Royal Artillery and 19 Regiment Royal Artillery. However, analysis of future force structures is ongoing, and the final fielding plan remains subject to change.

With reference to the Ministry of Defence accounts 2024-25, what did the Melorius write-off and constructive losses of £12,552,000 relate to.

Initiated to replace an in-service capability, MELORIUS was a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Medical Countermeasure project to rapidly develop and provide immediate treatment to a person exposed to a Nerve Agent.A Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) product became available during the development stage of the project, following changes in the commercial market. Project MELORIUS was re-evaluated and a decision was made to stop further development, with funds reinvested into procuring a COTS solution. This represented the best value for money for the taxpayer, a low-risk option and significantly reduced the delivery timescales.The constructive loss of £12,552,000 was incurred during the active management of stopping project MELORIUS. It relates to the safe disposal of 110,000 medical devices, a necessary up-front purchase, and the associated costs of development and testing of the products.In delivering the best capabilities for our Armed Forces, it is vital that we continually review the market and emerging technologies for ways to enhance our current offering, to ensure that our troops have what they need to operate effectively and the ability to respond to evolving threats.

What assessment he has made of the potential risk of closure of the General Dynamics Land Systems UK factory in Merthyr Tydfil following the completion of the 589 Ajax vehicles in 2027.

While the future of the Merthyr Tydfil factory is a matter for General Dynamics Land Systems UK, I have frequent engagement with representatives from General Dynamics, the Welsh Government and the local MPs regarding the Ajax platform.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Q101187 on Veterans: Visas, by what date will he have waived visa fees for dependents of Commonwealth veterans.

Work is ongoing with the Home Office to deliver the manifesto commitment to scrap visa fees for non-UK veterans and their dependants including those from the Commonwealth, but it is not possible at this stage to provide an implementation date.

By what dates does he plan to have delivered the Digital Targeting Web in full.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided to Question 96241 on 10 December 2025. No target date will be given for the ‘full’ implementation of the Digital Targeting Web. This is because to be competitive, the UK must continually adapt and develop its ability to target, and this will require constant evolution.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the sinking of the Ursa Major in December 2024 on the conflict in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defence are aware of the open-source reports on the sinking of the Ursa Major, however we judge that such an incident would be unlikely to have had a significant impact on the conflict in Ukraine.

What is the scope of the Royal Navy’s NavyX division.

In early 2025, the Royal Navy’s NavyX was amalgamated with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) and the Navy Artificial Intelligence Cell (NAIC) to form the Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office (DCTO). The new Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office (DCTO) unites the knowledge and skills of innovation specialists from NavyX, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer and the Navy AI Cell. Together, the unit rapidly prototypes, test and deploys advanced technologies to support operations at sea and will address the Royal Navy’s more pressing operational challenges.

How many places in the Armed Forces Foundation Scheme will be available in each of the services during the first three years.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) on 16 January 2026, to Question 104233.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-01-08/104233

What is the out-of-service date of Pinzgauer.

The current planned out of service date for Pinzgauer is 2030. Out of service dates are continuously reviewed to ensure that the British Army has the capabilities it requires to deliver against Defence commitments.

How many RCH155 Early Capability Demonstrators will be procured as part of the Mobile Fires Platform programme.

The UK will procure one Early Capability Demonstrator platform as part of the Mobile Fires Platform programme with Germany procuring two additional demonstrators. This will allow all three to be used for joint trials and evaluation, providing both time and cost benefits.

How many non-commissioned ships are in service with the Royal Navy.

All ships in service with the Royal Navy are commissioned warships.

How many Gravehawk air defence systems have been purchased by (a) his Department and (b) Denmark.

The UK solely funded the development and production of the first two prototype GRAVEHAWK air-defence systems. The additional 15 GRAVEHAWK systems, of which the first batch will be delivered shortly, are each equally funded by the UK and Denmark.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the addition of the Grok chatbot alongside Google’s generative AI engine on every unclassified and classified network throughout the US Department of War on joint US-UK operations.

The US and UK remain steadfast allies and will continue to closely cooperate on a range of defence and security issues. But how the US Department of War manages the use of technology in their systems is a matter for them. The UK’s Defence AI Strategy recognises AI systems must be adopted to avoid falling behind adversaries, whilst mandating robust cybersecurity and safety measures for these systems. The MOD’s Joint Service Publication 936 mandates that AI systems deployed in UK defence environments must be safe, robust, and secure, must pass relevant assurance checks, and comply with the Government Cyber Security Standard and Secure By Design principles.

How many NATO administered facilities are based within the UK.

The UK currently has six designated NATO facilities: Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) – Northwood HeadquartersNATO Joint Electronic Warfare Core Staff (JEWCS) – Royal Naval Air Station YeoviltonNATO Intelligence Fusion Centre (NIFC) – Royal Air Force Molesworth280 Signal Squadron, 1st NATO Signals Battalion - Blandford CampAllied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) – Imjin BarracksEuropean Regional Office of NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) – London

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2925, to Question 103528 on Ajax Vehicles: Military Exercises, how many instances of noise and vibration sickness occurred during each of the three exercises.

There were no incidents of noise or vibration symptoms reported on Health and Safety systems by personnel using Ajax on any of the three exercises.

What is the delivery timeline of (a) Programme Euston and (b) the Royal Navy’s Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability.

Programme Euston is the Royal Navy’s solution to Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability. The programme aims to deliver a resilient out of water engineering capability at HMNB Clyde by the early 2030s. The next key milestone will be the submission of a Programme Business Case in mid-2026. Timelines are kept under regular review as part of the Department’s major programmes portfolio. For reasons of commercial and operational sensitivities, the department is unable to provide detailed timelines.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 95908 on Ajax Vehicles: Noise, how many Ajax users have had their hearing (a) decline and (b) be downgraded following audiometer protocols after crewing an Ajax vehicle.

To obtain the information required to answer the hon. Member’s question in full would incur disproportionate costs due to the amount of data that would need to be obtained.

What contractual payments to General Dynamics for the Ajax programme have been made since 1 January 2025; and on which dates were they made.

The Ministry of Defence paid General Dynamics Land Systems UK £330 million in line with contractual obligations for the Ajax programme between 1 January 2025 and 12 January 2026. I am unable to publish details of the milestones and payment schedule as this may prejudice the Department's commercial interests.

How many of the order of 589 Ajax hulls have now been built by General Dynamics.

All 589 Ajax hulls have been produced.