Written question asked by Luke Akehurst (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 July 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Wednesday, 22 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Electronic Warfare and Unmanned Air Systems: Procurement

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Investment Plan published on 30 June 2026, what milestones have been set for the delivery of counter-drone and electromagnetic warfare capabilities.

Answer: The pace of technological innovation and development of uncrewed aerial systems means the threat is in a state of constant change. To keep pace with this rapid evolution of the threat, counter drone capability needs to focus on spiral development, flexibility and modularity, rather than on specific milestones for capability development. Within the UK, there is a thriving drones and autonomous systems ecosystem which enables our ability to meet the changing threat. There are a wide range of Electromagnetic Warfare capabilities in the current and planned force, across all domains. We do not release details of in service dates for individual capabilities and where it would compromise operational security to do.

Secondary information