Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Royal Navy Capabilities

Monday 19 February 2024 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Royal Navy assesses its capabilities to engage land-based targets for every deployment or contingency.
  • The urgency to upgrade HMS Diamond's defence systems has been noted following its deployment in the Red Sea.
  • The Sea Viper capability is a key component in addressing threats identified during the Red Sea deployment.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Desmond Swayne Con New Forest West
Defence
Context

The question arises from concerns about the Royal Navy's ability to engage in land-based target operations effectively.

Question

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of the Royal Navy's capabilities to engage land-based targets?

Answer from James Cartlidge

The Royal Navy has a range of capabilities to support the engagement of land-based targets. Specific threat planning is considered for every deployment or contingency, and measures are taken to reduce or mitigate those expected threats as dictated by operational priority.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assessment and adequacy evaluation not provided

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Q2 Desmond Swayne Con New Forest West
Defence
Context

The urgency of upgrading HMS Diamond's defence systems is questioned following its deployment in the Red Sea.

Question

What urgency is attached to the upgrading of HMS Diamond's defence systems?

Answer from James Cartlidge

My right hon. Friend asks an excellent question. I know that there has been a lot of interest, following the deployment in the Red sea, in what the lessons are. I can confirm that the Sea Viper capability has been at the forefront of this, being the Navy's weapon of choice in the first shooting down of an aerial threat in more than 30 years. It is a cutting-edge weapons system, and I can confirm that Sea Viper will be upgraded, to further enhance this capability against the more complex and evolving threats that we face, including the ability to intercept missiles in their terminal phase.

Answered
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