Written question asked by James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 May 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Friday, 22 May 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Minesweepers

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve mine hunting capabilities.

Answer: The Ministry of Defence is improving mine hunting capabilities through the development and introduction of autonomous, remote and uncrewed systems under the Programme of Record Mine Hunting Capability Block 1 and 2 programmes.

Block 1 capability is being brought into service ready for deployment, while investment has been approved in the initial stages of Block 2 to deliver a more enduring and scalable capability, improving operational effectiveness and enhancing force protection.

Secondary information