Funding for the concept phase of Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS) has been approved by HM Treasury. I can confirm that the platform will be procured through the new Integrated Procurement Model (IPM), which I recently announced. As such, the next step in the programme will be for me to receive and review the Independent Advice Note (IAN) on MRSS which will inform the concept and design phases of the programme. As I said in my Oral Statement of 28^th February, announcing the IPM, the aim of this note is “to provide a credible second opinion for Ministers to weigh alongside the military’s proposed requirement” (Hansard ref).

The IAN will provide advice on key policy choices, to ensure we set the programme up for success from the off. In particular, this is to core policy issues are transparently considered at the earliest stage, and then locked down as far as possible, so that the remaining procurement stages can proceed at pace, and in a context of underlying policy certainty. Policy areas to be informed by the IAN will include:

• Industrial options, to be supplemented by in-depth engagement with industry;
• Exportability, enabling any related campaigns to commence at the earliest opportunity, and providing transparency over any potential mismatch between domestic and international market requirements;
• Full cost transparency, including the likely cost of associated and dependent enablers; and
• Technological considerations, informed by wargaming and other evidence.

Advice would draw on expertise from across the Defence Enterprise, including, but not restricted to: DSTL; DE&S; DSE/DBT.

The total programme budget will be allocated on completion of the concept phase. It is too early in that process to have committed expenditure or actual spend.

MRSS will enter service in the early 2030s, providing highly flexible warships, able to deploy on a wider variety of operations. They will be lean-crewed, with the precise crew requirement being confirmed during the concept phase.

The New Medium Helicopter Contract Notice published in May 2022 stated a contract value range between £900 million to £1.2 billion.

A contract for £12.5 million (ex VAT), for the delivery of 24 Intercept and Escort Craft platforms, was awarded to Zodiac Milpro on 19 October 2023.

The support contract for these platforms has not yet been awarded, therefore the whole life costs are not available.

A contract for £12.5 million (ex VAT), for the delivery of 24 Intercept and Escort Craft platforms, was awarded to Zodiac Milpro on 19 October 2023.

The support contract for these platforms has not yet been awarded, therefore the whole life costs are not available.

The New Medium Helicopter programme is subject to an ongoing competition. The second stage of the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) competition commenced on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate.

There has been no change to the advertised requirement of a range of up to 44 platforms in the New Medium Helicopter Contract Notice that was published in May 2022. The results of the contract competition will inform the number of airframes to be delivered.

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with other Government Departments to outline the scope of the envoy role and we will confirm further details in due course.

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with other Government Departments to outline the scope of the envoy role and we will confirm further details in due course.

The below table contains the dates of when new contracts were last signed for each of the munition type requested. It does not contain subsequent contract amendments or renewals.

Notes:

1. Javelin and Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) are procured through Foreign Military Sales, a government to government agreement directly between the UK MOD and the US Government.

RCH155 will be developed through a jointly led collaborative procurement between the UK and Germany. Working collaboratively on a joint assessment and qualification plan will exploit the combined capabilities of each nation’s test and trials centres enabling faster delivery at less cost. The certainty of platform choice also enables us to advance early acquisition of ammunition and other critical enablers in the assessment phase. Concurrently, we will continue to explore opportunities to accelerate delivery of RCH155 to the Army, where possible and in line with the new Integrated Procurement Model.

The assessment phase of the programme will determine the most appropriate manufacturing approach and confirm the number of platforms required by the British Army. The Army aims to achieve a Mobile Fires Platform Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade.

The joint programme is potentially worth upwards of £3 billion and marks a step change towards a deeper industrial and wider defence relationship between the UK and Germany.

RCH155 will be developed through a jointly led collaborative procurement between the UK and Germany. Working collaboratively on a joint assessment and qualification plan will exploit the combined capabilities of each nation’s test and trials centres enabling faster delivery at less cost. The certainty of platform choice also enables us to advance early acquisition of ammunition and other critical enablers in the assessment phase. Concurrently, we will continue to explore opportunities to accelerate delivery of RCH155 to the Army, where possible and in line with the new Integrated Procurement Model.

The assessment phase of the programme will determine the most appropriate manufacturing approach and confirm the number of platforms required by the British Army. The Army aims to achieve a Mobile Fires Platform Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade.

The joint programme is potentially worth upwards of £3 billion and marks a step change towards a deeper industrial and wider defence relationship between the UK and Germany.

RCH155 will be developed through a jointly led collaborative procurement between the UK and Germany. Working collaboratively on a joint assessment and qualification plan will exploit the combined capabilities of each nation’s test and trials centres enabling faster delivery at less cost. The certainty of platform choice also enables us to advance early acquisition of ammunition and other critical enablers in the assessment phase. Concurrently, we will continue to explore opportunities to accelerate delivery of RCH155 to the Army, where possible and in line with the new Integrated Procurement Model.

The assessment phase of the programme will determine the most appropriate manufacturing approach and confirm the number of platforms required by the British Army. The Army aims to achieve a Mobile Fires Platform Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade.

The joint programme is potentially worth upwards of £3 billion and marks a step change towards a deeper industrial and wider defence relationship between the UK and Germany.

RCH155 will be developed through a jointly led collaborative procurement between the UK and Germany. Working collaboratively on a joint assessment and qualification plan will exploit the combined capabilities of each nation’s test and trials centres enabling faster delivery at less cost. The certainty of platform choice also enables us to advance early acquisition of ammunition and other critical enablers in the assessment phase. Concurrently, we will continue to explore opportunities to accelerate delivery of RCH155 to the Army, where possible and in line with the new Integrated Procurement Model.

The assessment phase of the programme will determine the most appropriate manufacturing approach and confirm the number of platforms required by the British Army. The Army aims to achieve a Mobile Fires Platform Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade.

The joint programme is potentially worth upwards of £3 billion and marks a step change towards a deeper industrial and wider defence relationship between the UK and Germany.

The total cost of Project MATCHA to date is £38.56 million.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 July 2023 to Question 194703.

These aircraft have not been flown operationally by the UK Armed Forces.

I can confirm that the Defence Equipment Sales Authority has completed a sale to the Commonwealth of Australia and their leasing partners of five surplus H135 helicopters.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Alex Chalk) to the right hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Kevan Jones) on 8 March 2023 to Question 157622.

Our Defence Sourcing Portal is used to coordinate all sourcing activities across the Department with external parties. From this system, the number of Invitations To Tender/Invitations to Negotiate (ITT/ITN) indicated as not leading to a procurement contract in calendar year 2023 is 11 (of the 676 that were published.) This represents 1.63% of the total number of ITT/ITNs for 2023.