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Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (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 Tuesday, 6 October 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


Guided Weapons: Procurement

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the full requirements of the hypersonic target to be delivered under Project Bowline.

Answer

Project Bowline is delivering a hypersonic target capability to support the development, evaluation and testing of missile defence systems against advanced threats. The programme will design, manufacture, qualify and test a target vehicle capable of replicating emerging high-speed threats travelling at speeds in excess of Mach 5.

The capability will provide a realistic test environment for missile defence research, development and experimentation, supporting the United Kingdom's contribution to allied air and missile defence. A live flight demonstration of the capability is planned at the MOD Hebrides Range in 2027.

Details of the full technical requirements are commercially and operationally sensitive and therefore will not be released.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
22857
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Procurement Guided weapons
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk