Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 July 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Friday, 17 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Weapons: Procurement

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the full scope is of Project STOKES.

Answer: Project STOKES aims to examine options to provide the UK Armed Forces with close indirect fire support, including suppression and precision strike, across all operational environments. It intends to support highly mobile forces and help meet the UK’s Very High Readiness and Light Forces commitments. The project intends to rapidly assess mature market options and identify the most suitable 120mm mortar to replace the Army’s 105mm light gun and 81mm mortar, both of which are due to leave service around 2030. However, Project STOKES is currently paused pending future decisions on prioritisation, resourcing and funding.

Secondary information