Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Thursday, 9 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Unmanned Marine Systems: Minesweepers

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, page 26, what is the full scope of the £1.1 billion autonomous mine-hunting capability programme he intends to procure jointly with France.

Answer: The Defence Investment Plan states that the Department will deliver the full scope of the next phase of the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme. This programme forms part of Defence's wider investment in the Royal Navy's Hybrid Navy and will deliver enhanced autonomous mine countermeasures capability. The MHC programme will deliver three Offshore Support Vessels (OSV), and six Mission Systems’ worth of equipment, capable of delivering the full end-to-end process for sea mine detection to neutralisation.

Secondary information