Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Armed Forces: Equipment

Monday 24 May 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government will invest over 85 billion over four years for armed forces equipment, including 6.6 billion for research and development.
  • David Brown has won a multi-year power pack contract for the Boxer programme, supporting local defence contractors.
  • Ajax is in its demonstration phase, with 14 original vehicles acquired, and Challenger 3 is committed to join the Army's lineup.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Barry Sheerman Lab
Defence
Context

The Defence Committee recently warned about the inadequacy of armed vehicles in a conflict with Russia, citing obsolescence and inferiority. The questioner represents constituencies with defence engineering companies.

Question

What steps are being taken to ensure that the armed forces have up-to-date and high-quality equipment? This follows the Defence Committee's report indicating that our forces would be outmatched in a conflict with Russia, due to outdated vehicles. Given my constituency houses leading defence firms like David Brown, what is going wrong with our current defence capability as we reduce personnel numbers?

Answer from Jeremy Quin

This Government will invest more than £85 billion over four years for armed forces equipment, including a commitment to invest at least £6.6 billion in research and development. The defence capability is being enhanced through contracts such as Ajax, Challenger 3, and Boxer; David Brown has won a multi-year power pack contract for the Boxer programme.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific concerns about obsolescence and inferiority of armed vehicles were not directly addressed with concrete timelines or actions to resolve them.

How: Welcoming The Hon. Gentleman

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Q2 Barry Sheerman Lab
Defence
Context

The Defence Committee warned that forces would be outgunned by Russia due to outdated vehicles, while personnel numbers are being reduced.

Question

Given the recent report from the Defence Committee stating our armed forces would be obsolete in a conflict with Russia due to outdated vehicles and insufficient manpower, what specific issues are causing this deficiency and how is it impacting defence contractors like David Brown in my constituency?

Answer from Jeremy Quin

Our armed forces' capability is being enhanced through significant investments such as Ajax, Challenger 3, and Boxer. David Brown has won a multi-year power pack contract for the Boxer programme. We are committed to developing a highly credible and capable force.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific issues raised by the Defence Committee were not directly addressed with concrete actions or timelines.

How: Enhancement, Investment

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Q3 Chris Evans Labour (Co-op) Caerphilly
Defence
Context

The cancellation of the Warrior programme and delays in Ajax have raised concerns about when new armoured vehicles will be delivered to armed forces.

Question

Given the cancellation of Warrior and delays with Ajax, can you provide a specific date by which our armed forces will receive the next generation of armoured vehicles?

Answer from Jeremy Quin

Ajax is in its demonstration phase, with 14 original vehicles already acquired. Challenger 3 is committed to join the Army's lineup and Boxer contracts have been awarded, ensuring skilled jobs and future capabilities for our forces.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific date requested was not provided, instead a general overview of investments and commitments was given.

How: Historic Context, Debates

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