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Written question asked by Stuart Anderson (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 October 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what lessons his Department has learned from the war in Ukraine; and what impact that war has had on procurement models.

Answer

The UK is learning extensively from Ukraine, particularly the need for a much faster 'learn and adapt' cycle and the ability to analyse real time data to drive rapid changes in capability and tactics though rapid innovation. This continues to inform UK Defence Policy. As such, we are strengthening collaboration between operators, scientists and industry to accelerate our innovation activity to satisfy Defence requirements.

The war in Ukraine has also demonstrated the importance of speed and technical innovation for UK defence procurement. Our new segmented approach to procurement and accelerated commercial pathways, set out in the Strategic Defence Review, will enable us to get programmes onto contract faster. Through UK Defence Innovation, we will accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge, front-line-ready capabilities, enabling the rapid acquisition and integration of available technologies to strengthen military capability and deliver decisive operational advantage on the battlefield.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
21579
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Defence Armed conflict Procurement Ukraine Russia
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk