Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What date does he plan to launch the competitive design phase of the Multi-Role Strike Ship (MRSS) programme.

In his speech to DSEI in September 2025, the First Sea Lord set out that the Multi Role Strike Ship (MRSS) concept would fundamentally change to have uncrewed capabilities at their heart, but be more modular, resilient, dispersed and powerful. These changes are subject to the Defence Investment Plan, with further information available once it is published. Project Catharina continues to ensure that UK and Netherlands amphibious capabilities remain aligned, building on over 50 years of partnership between the Royal Marines and the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps.

What progress has he made in delivering Recommendation 1 of the Strategic Defence Review.

Implementation of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) began immediately after the Government endorsed the SDR's 62 recommendations; the delivery of the recommendations remains priority business for the Department and significant progress has been made since the SDR was published last June. Examples include: Nuclear deterrence: The Prime Minister announced at the NATO Hague Summit (June 25) that the UK will purchase 12 new F-35A fighter jets and join NATO’s dual capable aircraft nuclear mission. SDR Recommendation (Rec) 30 UKDI: UK Defence Innovation was launched (July 25) to streamline the delivery of innovation technology to Armed Forces personnel through rapid investment, with an annual budget of £400 million. SDR Rec 7 Defence Exports: The UK Defence and Security Exports function was transferred from Department for Business and Trade to MOD (July 25); all staff have completed their migration to MOD systems. 2025 was the highest year for UK Defence exports in 40 years including landmark deals with Norway, worth £10 billion (T26 frigates; Aug 25), and Türkiye, worth £8 billion (Typhoons; October 25). SDR Rec 12 Defence Industrial Strategy: The Defence Industrial Strategy was published (September 25) to take forward the SDR’s vision for radical reforms, growth, innovation, industrial resilience and warfighting readiness – backed by nearly £800 million this parliament. SDR Rec 3 and 8 Always on munitions: Defence announced a new programme to build factories of the future (November 25) with at least 13 potential sites identified to manufacture munitions and explosives in the UK to create an always on capability. This is backed by £1.5 billion of new investment in this parliament and creating over 1,000 British jobs. SDR Rec 29 Housing: The Defence Housing Strategy 2025 (November 25) set out £9 billion of investment over the next decade to upgrade 40,000 Forces’ family homes. An ambitious programme of work to urgently fix 1,000 military homes was completed ahead of schedule (December 25). The programme of housing improvements, known as Raising the Minimum Standards, has seen significant work take place at service family homes across the UK. Legislation to establish a specialist arm’s length defence housing service is in the Armed Forces Bill, now in the Commons. SDR Rec 60 CyberEM Command: The Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force (DCEM Force) was established on time and is now up and running, within the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (November 25). SDR Rec 51 MIS and DCIU: The Military Intelligence Services and Defence Counter-Intelligence Unit were launched on time, as part of a major overhaul of Defence’s intelligence organisations amid increasing threats to the UK and to keep Britain ahead of hostile states and terrorists (December 25). SDR Recs 54 and 56 Atlantic Bastion: The UK’s groundbreaking Atlantic Bastion programme was unveiled (December 25), which will make Britain more secure from Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic through a transformation of the Royal Navy and its submarine-hunting capabilities into an advanced hybrid force. SDR vision: Hybrid Navy Gap Year: Plans to launch the new Armed Forces ‘Gap Year’ Foundation Scheme were announced (December 25) to give young people in the UK new opportunities to experience military service. SDR Rec 16 DDS: A public summary of the UK's first ever Defence Diplomacy Strategy was published (March 26) which lays the foundation for UK Defence to be more deliberate, targeted and coherent in deepening its international relationships with allies and partners to support defence and wider foreign policy. SDR Rec 21

With reference to the press release entitled UK and Belgium sign multi-million pound Mission Data partnership, published on 31 March 2026, by when he plans to agree a burden-sharing model with Belgium.

The burden‑sharing arrangements for the UK–Belgium Mission Data programme were agreed as part of the Memorandum of Understanding underpinning the partnership.

What is the Royal Navy’s contribution to the NATO Submarine Rescue System Operations Group.

The Royal Navy contribution to global submarine rescue is world leading. As one of three partner nations, alongside France and Norway, the Royal Navy makes a significant contribution to the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) Operations Group, contributing specialist expertise in submarine operations, rescue, engineering and medical support to ensure the system remains capable of responding rapidly to a submarine emergency worldwide.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 52037 on F-35 Aircraft: Meteor Missiles, what progress he has made in achieving the integration of the MBDA Meteor ramjet-powered air-to-air missile with F-35B through the US-led Lightning II Joint Programme Office.

Integration of the MBDA Meteor ramjet-powered air-to-air missile with F-35B is driven by the US-led Lightning II Joint Programme Office. Integration testing continues and the estimated timeline for in-service capability remains the early 2030s.

Whether hare coursing contributes to any of the strategic priorities in the 2025-2028 Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025-28, which was published in November 2025, sets out policing priorities to tackle crimes that predominantly affect rural communities. This includes illegal hunting, poaching and hare coursing.

What is the UK financial contribution to Project Renovator in a) GBP and b) as a percentage share relative to other NATO contributors.

The UK has to date spent approximately £31 million on RENOVATOR. This funding has been directed across two principal areas: infrastructure, with works including the refurbishment and modernisation of rehabilitation wards, and the installation of wheelchair-adapted elevators. In addition, over 26,000 items of modern medical rehabilitation equipment have been delivered across multiple sites, including physical training equipment, diagnostic tools, occupational therapy aids and advanced surgical equipment.

What progress he has made on the development of Ajax 2.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What is the difference between Ajax 2 and Capability Drop 4 of the Armoured Cavalry Programme.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

How much the UK has contributed to NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine in a) 2024/25, b) 2025/26 and c) 2026/27.

Since NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU)’s inception in April 2025, £171 million has been contributed to the NSATU Trust Fund by Allies and partners, of which the UK has contributed £40 million. This is on top of the UK deploying an Assistant Commander and over forty military personnel to the NSATU headquarters.

What progress has he made in increasing naval interoperability between the Royal Navy and Norway under the Lunna House agreement.

The UK continues to make strong progress in enhancing naval interoperability with Norway under the Lunna House agreement, with Royal Navy units continuing to work closely with their Norwegian counterparts to ensure both nations can operate seamlessly together in protecting shared security interests.

What is the scope of the Royal Navy’s Maritime Big Play programme.

The Maritime Big Play programme develops remotely piloted and autonomous systems to accelerate the adoption of these technologies across the AUKUS nations.

Pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026 to question 121671 on F-35 Aircraft: Weapons, what is the difference between the Israeli F-35 weapons integration and the Royal Air Force F-35.

The UK F-35 programme is managed through a US Government F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) based in the USA.Israel is out-with the F-35 partner nation program and the UK does not have access to Israeli F-35 weapons integration information and therefore is unable to offer a comparison.

What the split is between projected (a) core defence spending and (b) remaining total NATO qualifying defence spending in 2026–27.

The Ministry of Defence does not routinely publish forecast figures. The UK's defence spending figures for 2026-27 are expected to be published by NATO this summer.

With reference to page 19 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy - Public Summary, how he will harness the power of data and AI to deliver and track defence diplomacy.

Through the Defence Diplomacy Strategy, the Ministry of Defence will enhance how its data, digital, and AI platforms support Defence to plan and deliver defence diplomacy activity. Defence is already utilising these platforms through its Strategic Effects Cycle to support the prioritisation of defence diplomacy activity. The Ministry of Defence will use data and AI to support implementation of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy and improve how we deliver and track defence diplomacy. This will include using our existing data and digital platforms to support the long-term planning of targeted and impactful High-Level International Engagement; using the new digital Pan Defence Skills Framework to track the training and skills of our personnel to support career progression and how international postings are assigned; and using data and AI to draw insights on how our defence diplomacy activity is contributing to strengthening our international relationships.

With reference to page 17 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy - Public Summary, what are the export opportunities he plans to seize.

The Ministry of Defence is proactively supporting the UK's defence industry to seize export opportunities globally. In 2025, the UK secured over £20 billion worth of defence export deals with our allies and partners. This includes the historic £10 billion export deal with Norway to export at least five Type 26 frigates, and the £8 billion Typhoon partnership with Turkey. The Defence Diplomacy Strategy sets out how defence exports are a central component in making Defence an engine for growth, in line with the Defence Industrial Strategy. Due to commercial sensitivities, we do not comment on active export campaigns. However, we did publish information on recent successes in the press release of 26 December 2025. We also published the 2024 UK Defence Export Statistics on 5 March 2026. The Defence Diplomacy Strategy is implementing a range of actions including harnessing the former Department for Business and Trade personnel now integrated into Defence to drive effective and strategic engagement with exports; enhancing export literacy in international facing roles across Defence; and improving our export offer to partners in line with the Defence Industrial Strategy. As a result of these actions, we will build on our export successes into the future and support our ambition to be Europe’s lead defence exporting nation by 2035.

With reference to page 17 of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy - Public Summary, what is the UK’s “persistent military forward presence” in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the South Atlantic, Defence maintains two overseas bases on Ascension Island and Falkland Islands. This enables a defensive military posture delivered through the presence of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands. The Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Ship, HMS PROTECTOR, routinely deploys to the Antarctic Peninsula. RAF transport aircraft also periodically delivers logistics to British Antarctic Survey and conducts overflights. In the Caribbean, a Royal Naval ship maintains a persistent presence and contributes to maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as necessary during the hurricane season, and wider defence diplomacy. While the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) provides a training location for the Army. This range of activity is aligned with priorities set out in the Defence Diplomacy Strategy and underpinned by the presence of six Defence Sections who represent Defence and support wider UK interests through the development of close relationships with nations and the provision of expert advice.

What is the Royal Navy commitment to the Standing NATO Maritime Group One in 2026.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 March 2026 to Question 119559.

If he can confirm how many ships the Royal Navy has.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my noble Friend, Lord Coaker, the Minister for the House of Lords, on 31 March 2026 the Question HL15483 asked by Baroness Goldie on 12 March 2026.

How much the UK has pledged to the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in a) 2024/25, b) 2025/26 and c) 2026/27.

The UK remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine's defence and security against ongoing Russian aggression. Over $80 billion has been pledged by the international community in military support for Ukraine since the UK took on the convening and co-chairing of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in February 2025.