Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ben Obese-Jecty this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,501–1,520 of 2,264 · Ministry of Defence
With reference to page 109 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, whether the UK contribution to the Strategic Reserve Corps is capable of deploying anywhere in Europe.
The Strategic Reserve Corps (SRC) are Supreme Allied Command Europe’s (SACEUR) most credible warfighting land forces, useable in competition, crisis or conflict. They can be deployed anywhere in Europe in support of NATO plans and to enact SACEUR’s prudent planning options.
With reference to page 41 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published in June 2025, CP 1338, in which cases does the UK plan to become a more activist state willing to intervene more deeply in the economy.
The Government will not hesitate to intervene, where necessary, to protect our national security interests, and we will use the Defence Industrial Strategy to make Defence an engine for growth, backing British jobs, British industry and British innovation.
With reference to recommendation 47 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, when Protector will be integrated with P-8 Poseidon.
The exploration of the Maritime capability for Protector is being considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan to take onboard the Review's vision and recommendations and turn them into a delivery plan. We will ensure that this Plan is affordable, considers infrastructure and people, alongside capabilities and maximises the benefits of defence spending to grow the UK economy.
With reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of MOD Centre arbitration funding decisions on (a) St Kilda, (b) the Falkland Islands and (c) Gibraltar in the context of the Marshall programme.
Following Ministry of Defence Centre arbitration funding decisions on (a) St Kilda, (b) the Falkland Islands and (c) Gibraltar, Air HQ will clarify the requirements and ensure that any potential impact to those locations, in the context of the Marshall programme, are mitigated.
What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Future Cruise Anti-Ship Weapon programme on the level of military cooperation between the UK and France.
The Future Cruise Anti-Ship Weapon programme is a vital programme within the UK-French Lancaster House agreement. This programme develops a key collaboration on two next generation deep strike and anti-ship weapons that will offer increased opportunities for co-operation for both the Air and Naval Forces of France and UK, building upon the success of the joint UK Storm Shadow and France SCALP missiles currently in operational use.
With reference to page 127 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on establishing the banner of Military Intelligence Services.
As set out in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), work to establish a single defence intelligence enterprise under the banner of 'Military Intelligence Services' (MIS) is continuing. Key stakeholders across Defence have been consulted, and draft proposals have been developed. This work has been executed through the existing structures of the Intelligence Function, which has already delivered enhanced coherence across several activities. The SDR sets out the requirement for further integration under the MIS, and the enterprise continues to develop as planned. Work on the Defence Intelligence Charter is ongoing, and Defence is aiming to publish the Charter by the end of 2025 however its publication will be coordinated with a wide range of Defence Reform activity and SDR delivery and thus is subject to change with dependencies across both. The Ministry of Defence's existing intelligence capabilities, incorporating Defence Intelligence (DI), PJHQ Joint Intelligence (J2), UK Special Forces J2, and Royal Navy, Army, RAF and Space Command intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance organisations) will operate under MIS with functional leadership provided by DI.
With reference to page 128 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on driving improvements to (a) intelligence capability and (b) shared services within Military Intelligence Services.
As set out in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), work to establish a single defence intelligence enterprise under the banner of 'Military Intelligence Services' (MIS) is continuing. Key stakeholders across Defence have been consulted, and draft proposals have been developed. This work has been executed through the existing structures of the Intelligence Function, which has already delivered enhanced coherence across several activities. The SDR sets out the requirement for further integration under the MIS, and the enterprise continues to develop as planned. Work on the Defence Intelligence Charter is ongoing, and Defence is aiming to publish the Charter by the end of 2025 however its publication will be coordinated with a wide range of Defence Reform activity and SDR delivery and thus is subject to change with dependencies across both. The Ministry of Defence's existing intelligence capabilities, incorporating Defence Intelligence (DI), PJHQ Joint Intelligence (J2), UK Special Forces J2, and Royal Navy, Army, RAF and Space Command intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance organisations) will operate under MIS with functional leadership provided by DI.
With reference to page 106 of the Strategic Defence Review, what progress he has made in developing long-range precision missiles capable of being fired from a carrier deck.
Project VANTAGE has recently been established as the maritime element of the UK’s One Way Effectors (OWE) programme, which are long-range uncrewed systems. VANTAGE is an iterative programme, with the first phase focussed on demonstrating OWE launch from a Royal Navy vessel. If successful, VANTAGE will look to exploit the demonstration in a core programme from a range of Royal Navy Vessels, including the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers. Subsequent phases of VANTAGE will focus on spiral development of the capability, keeping pace with evolving threats and counter OWE systems, as well as the potential of a modular construct, with interchangeable launchers, effectors, munitions and sensor packages which would require minimal change to shipping to accommodate OWE.
With reference to page 127 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made on increasing funding for into Defence Intelligence to build its (a) capability and (b) capacity.
Defence is taking forward a large range of projects and programmes aimed at improving defence intelligence capability. While we do not comment in detail on aspects of Defence capability that could be useful to adversaries, I can say that Defence is increasing the digitisation of the intelligence cycle and the information, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) process. It is also increasing digital integration of the intelligence cycle to allow the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to better meet both today’s threats and optimise our capabilities for modern war fighting. The MOD continues to focus on integration across Government and with international partners to make us better aligned to address state threats and nontraditional actors which facilitates a renewed focus on warfare capability development. We continue to invest in intelligence hubs which bring together a range of centralised intelligence capabilities, allowing for the faster, more agile passage of intelligence. Defence is also implementing the new Military Intelligence Services, which will maximise existing intelligence capabilities across the MOD.
With reference to page 127 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made on improving defence intelligence capabilities to (a) better meet today’s threats and (b) optimise for warfighting.
Defence is taking forward a large range of projects and programmes aimed at improving defence intelligence capability. While we do not comment in detail on aspects of Defence capability that could be useful to adversaries, I can say that Defence is increasing the digitisation of the intelligence cycle and the information, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) process. It is also increasing digital integration of the intelligence cycle to allow the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to better meet both today’s threats and optimise our capabilities for modern war fighting. The MOD continues to focus on integration across Government and with international partners to make us better aligned to address state threats and nontraditional actors which facilitates a renewed focus on warfare capability development. We continue to invest in intelligence hubs which bring together a range of centralised intelligence capabilities, allowing for the faster, more agile passage of intelligence. Defence is also implementing the new Military Intelligence Services, which will maximise existing intelligence capabilities across the MOD.
With reference to page 130 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what the Defence Medical Services pressures are that have been caused by fragility of the global supply chain.
As outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, workforce shortages and the fragility of global supply chains are pressures for both Defence Medical Services and the National Health Service (NHS). The Ministry of Defence (MOD) regularly reviews its critical supply chains to identify and mitigate risks to defence capability. Work is ongoing between the MOD and the NHS to understand system-wide capacity and capability, potential future need and shared plans for delivery to meet Defence medical needs. Increasing resilience of UK medicines supply chains remains a priority for the Government.
What progress he has made in delivering the Global Combat Ship programme.
The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with BAE Systems (BAES) to ensure the Global Combat Ship (Type 26) programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver world-class Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates to replace the Type 23. Following the steel-cut ceremony for HMS Sheffield on 28 November 2024, five of the eight Type 26 frigates are now under construction on the Clyde. HMS Cardiff is structurally complete and has joined HMS Glasgow in the dry dock at Scotstoun for the outfitting phase. Unit and block assembly on HMS Belfast and HMS Birmingham continues. HMS Glasgow is forecast to achieve Initial Operating Capability in 2028, with construction of all eight frigates expected to be complete by the mid-2030s.
With reference to page 128 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on establishing a single counter-intelligence unit by November 2025.
There has been a concerted effort of stakeholder engagement across Defence, alongside partners, to ensure the Department is ready to establish a new Defence CI Unit (DCIU) to tackle the threats we face. There are a number of internal decisions to review, and I will make an announcement on the intelligence recommendations from the Strategic Defence Review, including the DCIU by the end of the year that will strengthen our mission to be secure at home, and abroad.
With reference to page 120 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what the future structure of the Royal Navy’s Information Warfare Group will be.
The Royal Navy (RN) does not have a formally titled ‘Information Warfare Group’. Information Warfare (IW) is a specialisation within the Warfare profession, not a discrete unit or group. The Strategic Defence Review’s reference is therefore not to an established body, but to the Royal Navy’s IW specialisation and its ongoing transformation. The aim is to make IW more coherent, capable, and better able to deliver operational advantage and lethality to the maritime front line, without increasing workforce numbers or cost.
What assessment he has made of the risk to UK strategic capability from the global precision weapons of hostile nations.
The threat from global precision weapons is advancing, proliferating and converging. As a response, the Strategic Defence Review announced an investment of £1 billion to enhance our homeland air and missile defence. This investment will be prioritised appropriately as part of the future Integrated Force. Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on all aspects of the Integrated Air and Missile Defence, will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan to be published this year.
With reference to page 106 of the Strategic Defence Fund, updated on 8 July 2025, what modifications would be required to aircraft carriers in order to facilitate long-range precision missiles capable of being fired from the carrier deck.
Project VANTAGE has recently been established as the maritime element of the UK’s One Way Effectors (OWE) programme, which are long-range uncrewed systems. VANTAGE is an iterative programme, with the first phase focussed on demonstrating OWE launch from a Royal Navy vessel. If successful, VANTAGE will look to exploit the demonstration in a core programme from a range of Royal Navy Vessels, including the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers. Subsequent phases of VANTAGE will focus on spiral development of the capability, keeping pace with evolving threats and counter OWE systems, as well as the potential of a modular construct, with interchangeable launchers, effectors, munitions and sensor packages which would require minimal change to shipping to accommodate OWE.
With reference to page 134 of his Department's Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made in identifying mutually beneficial partnerships (a) across Government and (b) with the private sector.
Work to identify any opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships across Government and with the private sector, will be brought forward as part of the Recapitalisation Plan which has a target completion date of February 2026.
With reference to recommendation 47 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, when will Protector be integrated with Type-26 frigates.
The exploration of the Maritime capability for Protector is being considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan to take onboard the Review's vision and recommendations and turn them into a delivery plan. We will ensure that this Plan is affordable, considers infrastructure and people, alongside capabilities and maximises the benefits of defence spending to grow the UK economy.
With reference to page 48 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what recent progress he has made in establishing a digital warfighter group.
Mature work on the concept is underway on the core functions of the Digital Warfighter Group, its operating model and detailed design on its construct. Its focus will be to deploy digital warfighters alongside conventional warfighters to enable the rapid application of digital technologies in support of operational activities. The financial overheads have been submitted into the Defence Investment Plan process, and if funded and resourced, should be delivered at Initial Operating Capability in July 2026 as per the Strategic Defence Review.
What (a) financial, (b) manpower and (c) other material contributions the UK has made to US coalition warfare projects in the last 12 months.
There is no single cohering group that collects this information. Each of the single Services and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) independently propose and deliver projects as part of the Coalition Warfare Programme. This collaboration has taken place over the past 20 years.