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Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Friday, 10 October 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 October 2025. It was answered by Al Carns (Labour) on Friday, 17 October 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Emergencies

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 90 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on establishing a programme of exercises to test plans for response to an armed attack on (a) the UK and (b) NATO allies.

Answer

The Government regularly performs exercises on its ability to respond to an armed attack on the United Kingdom and our NATO Allies.

The Ministry of Defence works closely with the Cabinet Office and the Home Office to test and strengthen national resilience and home defence arrangements. These exercises enhance coordination between the Armed Forces, civil authorities and emergency services, ensuring the UK remains prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any armed threat.

In addition, NATO has an extensive set of plans outlining how to respond to an armed attack on any Ally, including the UK. These exercises enhance Allied interoperability, validate defence and deterrence strategies, and reinforce the credibility of NATO's collective defence posture.

The largest of these exercises is the STEADFAST series, NATO's most extensive and comprehensive exercise programme. Last year, Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER 2024, the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War, involved around 20,000 UK personnel.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
79323
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Emergencies NATO countries
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk