The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) is Government policy. The DIP is a Government document which was laid before Parliament on 30 June 2026 and summarises the major investment choices the Government has made for UK Defence.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) is Government policy. The DIP is a Government document which was laid before Parliament on 30 June 2026 and summarises the major investment choices the Government has made for UK Defence.

The Royal Navy will continue to deploy warships globally in support of the United Kingdom’s defence, security and international engagement objectives. Royal Navy vessels routinely exercise their navigational rights in accordance with international law, including the right of innocent passage where applicable, and undertake port visits and defence engagement activities with allies and partners around the world.

Recent examples of Royal Navy global deployments include HMS Medway operating in the South Atlantic, HMS Trent conducting security and defence engagement activity in the United States and the Caribbean, HMS Spey and HMS Tamar maintaining the United Kingdom's persistent Indo-Pacific presence, and the UK Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Prince of Wales undertaking operations with NATO Allies in the North Atlantic and High North. These activities demonstrate the routine global nature of Royal Navy deployments in support of defence, security and international engagement objectives.

The 117 personnel deployed to the United States of America as part of the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team were transported through a mix of military support aircraft, primarily A400M, and civilian aircraft. No other aircraft were deployed for the duration of the tour.

The UK and France continue to lead the Multinational Military Mission to coordinate international efforts to support restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. This includes mine clearance operations that can only begin once there is a stable security environment.

The Typhoon programme supports more than 20,000 jobs across the length and breadth of the UK. The greatest proportion of these are in England, including over 9,000 jobs across Lancashire, where the majority of the production and final assembly of each Typhoon fighter jet takes place, over 2,000 in the South East, and more than 1,800 in the East Midlands. The programme also supports over 1,400 jobs in Scotland and more than 600 in Wales. Just under 100 jobs are supported in Northern Ireland.

The Hybrid Navy Integrated Air and Missile Defence capability will replace the current fleet of six Type 45 destroyers. While the Common Combat Vessel (CCV) remains in the initial stages of design, the Royal Navy’s aspiration is to sequence the arrival of the CCV and wider Hybrid Navy Integrated Air and Missile Defence capability with the out of service dates of the Type 45s in the mid-2030s onwards.

No payments are due under the terms of the UK-Mauritius agreement until the Treaty has been ratified.

The Deputy Chief of the General Staff has directed Corps and Regimental Colonels to conduct a full review of all Army associations with private members’ clubs, to ensure their rules, policies and culture align with Army values, including equality and respect. Given the breadth of the Army’s regimental structure and the potentially extensive range of historic affiliations, this work is substantial and remains ongoing.

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

There is no specific compensation scheme for Nuclear Test Veterans and their families. Any veteran, including those of the nuclear tests, who believes they have suffered ill-health due to service has the right to apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pension Scheme if they served before 6 April 2005. War pensions are payable in respect of illness or injury as a result of service in the Armed Forces, with the benefit of reasonable doubt always given to the claimant. Decisions are medically certified and follow consideration of available service and medical evidence and carry full rights of appeal to an independent tribunal.

LED lighting is increasingly used across Royal Navy vessels reflecting its reliability, reduced maintenance requirements and improved energy efficiency. While the introduction of LED lighting within the Royal Navy is kept under constant review, lighting systems installed on Royal Navy vessels are required to comply with relevant safety and engineering standards and are designed to support the operational and welfare needs of personnel serving on board.

The Government is committed to the implementation of the Defence Investmeny Plan (DIP).

The DIP implements our ‘NATO First’ approach, placing NATO requirements and interoperability at the heart of UK capability planning. The decisions we have taken will increase the UK’s readiness for the future fight, whilst sustaining our contribution to NATO operations and deterrence activity.

The UK has provided the primary hub for NATO Distributed Synthetic Training since 2025, supporting secure and operationally relevant joint training for NATO personnel across the maritime, land and air domains.

Following the direction of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, the Ministry of Defence is developing a single virtual training environment and embedding synthetic training requirements within future procurement programmes.

This will enable personnel to train together more effectively, improve the re-use of existing capabilities, and increase interoperability with NATO Allies and partners.

This Government has ended the underfunding and hollowing out of our Armed Forces that we inherited from the last administration.

Backed by £298 billion of investment over the next four years, the Defence Investment Plan will deliver a step change in capability, transforming our Armed Forces and realising the vision set out in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review.

We have not waited for the publication of the Defence Investment Plan to take action. Since July 2024, we have awarded more than 1,400 defence contracts, with 94% of their total value going to UK-based businesses, strengthening our defence industrial base and supporting jobs and growth across the country. Last year alone, we spent more than £31 billion with UK industry – an above inflation increase in spending.

As set out in the Department's announcement of 1 April 2026, the United Kingdom and France agreed to establish a Joint Complex Weapons Portfolio Office. Work is progressing with the French Government to define, sequence and implement the most efficient arrangements required to support future UK-France Complex Weapons cooperation.

The UK MOD has an established policy for addressing Intellectual Property (IP), and all MOD projects are expected to set out a clear IP Strategy to ensure that IP is adequately protected, whilst securing maximum impact for our armed forces and value for money for the taxpayer.

The MOD will apply this policy to AI projects in the following ways:

1. Where AI technology is developed in-house by MOD research establishments, the IP in that technology will be owned by MOD and will be appropriately protected. Subject to any national security constraints, dual-use technology will be considered for exploitation in the wider economy, including through engagement with MOD’s wholly owned technology transfer company Ploughshare.

2. Where AI technology is developed by contractors on MOD’s behalf, our general policy is to leave the ownership of that technology with the contractors concerned, as they are best placed to pursue the commercial exploitation of that technology in other fields. MOD will take appropriate user rights in that technology to ensure that it can be fully exploited by our armed forces, and, subject to national security concerns, will encourage Industry to further exploit dual-use technology with other customers for the benefit of the wider economy.

Taskforce RAID is taking steps to deliver advantage in denied and degraded environments by improving our understanding of how adversaries operate in the electromagnetic environment, and by strengthening the UK’s ability to counter that activity. This work will support a real-time understanding of the electromagnetic environment, drawing on information from multiple sources to help deliver operational effect at a time and place of the UK’s choosing.

The UK has met the NATO 1.5% commitment on security and resilience, reflecting investment across civil-military capability, resilience, industrial capacity, stockpiles and support to partners.

Under the NATO definition, investment in defence infrastructure and capabilities is core defence spend. The Defence Investment Plan has set out investments over the next 10 years, including £51 billion earmarked for the Defence estate; modernising critical airbase and airfield capabilities and delivering the biggest naval upgrade for 45 years.

The Defence Investment Plan has set out how we will be investing over £76 billion on people and veterans over the next four years, including £4.2 billion on the reserves.

Individual annual settlements will be subject to planning cycles.

The Defence Housing Strategy review team assessed a range of organisational and delivery models to identify the approach best able to improve outcomes for Service Personnel and their families, deliver value for money, and support the long-term renewal of the Defence housing estate.

The assessment, which is summarised in the published Defence Housing Strategy, found that transferring Defence housing to a housing association would be most likely to delay improvements, increase costs, reduce operational effectiveness and undermine Crown tenancy arrangements. Additionally, expert financial advice indicated that borrowing through the private sector, outside the public sector borrowing limits, was not a feasible funding route.

The Defence Housing Strategy recommended establishing the Defence Housing Service as a professional, arms-length organisation focused on the specific needs of Service Personnel and their families and that the direct partnership with the military to support this can only be achieved within a public body. The Government supported this recommendation and is progressing legislation to create the Defence Housing Service through the Armed Forces Bill.

The total cost of the 2024 repurchase of 36,347 Service Family Accommodation properties from Annington Property Ltd, was £5.99 billion with additional transaction, advisory and legal costs of £ 6.6 million. The accounting for Annington Deal was completed in financial year 2024-25 in Ministry of Defence (MOD) accounts. How it was accounted for in national accounts is a matter for His Majesty’s Treasury.

Eliminating the liabilities associated with the leases created budgetary headroom to partially fund the purchase, meaning that the public expenditure impact of the measure, and the impact on public sector net debt, was confined to £1.7 billion. There is no debt in the MOD and therefore no debt to transfer to the Defence Housing Service.

The Ministry of Defence will publish its delivery timeline for the £9.2 billion Defence Housing Strategy over the next 12 months, in direct alignment with the National Audit Office recommendations. The revenue and capital budget allocation will be further refined to meet our commitments for the Defence Housing Strategy.

The UK continues to engage closely with the United States and Mauritius on the way forward for the UK-Mauritius Agreement. The existing Exchange of Notes between the UK and the USA remains in force and there has been no change to the day-to-day operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.

The Ministry of Defence will procure body armour in accordance with the UK Procurement Act 2023. This allows for the encouragement of manufacturing in the UK while ensuring Service personnel have the protection they require and providing value for money for taxpayers.

Taskforce Kindred requirements are normally advertised on the Defence Sourcing Portal, as well as the UK Defence Innovation "Innovation Support to Operations" Portal.

In addition to considering enquiries into the Ministry of Defence, Taskforce Kindred regularly engages with industry via forums such as tradeshows, conferences, and UK trade association events.

Taskforce Kindred receives a significant volume of offers of capability support for Ukraine. We work closely with Ukrainian partners to prioritise these to ensure we are delivering capability that best aligns with Ukraine's needs within the resources we have available. We do not hold the data to give an accurate figure for what proportion we have supported, but as is common across innovation the number that make it through to the battlefield is in the minority.

This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. The sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities, including specialist cast and forged steel components for a range of defence programmes. The department publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, enabling UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for upcoming contracts.

The National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence Review, and Defence Industrial Strategy set out how a strong industrial base is critical for maintaining our national security infrastructure. While steel used in our major Defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurement activity will continue to apply PPN 022, a policy aimed at increasing the use of British-produced steel in public contracts. The MOD also supports the recently published UK Steel Strategy which sets out a long-term plan to revitalise the UK steel sector and restore domestic production to sustainable levels.

The Department’s priority is to ensure all Service personnel receive appropriate and equitable levels of protection.

While there is currently no evidence demonstrating a causal link between the in-service body armour system and an increased incidence of injury among female personnel, we will continue the procurement of Tactical Ballistic Plates, which will replace the in-service OSPREY and Enhanced Combat Body Armour plates. These will be available in four sizes to provide an improved fit for a wider range of personnel and reduced weight for most users. Additionally, we have initiated a Complex Geometry Body Armour project with potential delivery from 2029, subject to trials and validation. This is likely to include the development of an appropriate testing regime and Human Factors Integration work to ensure this capability delivers improved fit and operational effectiveness for Servicewomen.

I refer the noble lady to the answer given to Question 118566 in the House of Commons on 16 March 2026.

The size and composition of the Royal Navy are kept under continuous review to ensure the force can meet Defence tasks and operational commitments.

This government has increased military drone and autonomous system spending as part of the £298 billion Defence Investment Plan.

The Defence Investment Plan allocated over £5 billion to military drone and autonomous systems, increasing spending from £4 billion to £5 billion over the next four years. This will cover programmes across the Maritime, Land, and Air domains to support the transformation of our Armed Forces, and includes a multitude of capabilities, ranging from the Hybrid Naval Fleet to One-Way Attack Drones.

The Defence Investment Plan provides full funding for the recommendations set out in the Strategic Defence Review. The Government accepted all of the Review’s recommendations, and significant progress has already been made in delivering them, including the establishment of the Military Intelligence Service and the publication of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 January 2026 to Question 107232.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-01-20/107232.

For reasons of operational security, we do not comment on specific threat assessments relating to Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia or on the security measures in place there.

Military appointments and promotions are based on merit, and protected characteristics are not used as selection criteria. Consequently, there is no centrally held record linking appointment or promotion decisions to candidates' protected characteristics.

All appointment and promotion decisions are made in accordance with relevant legislation and departmental policy.

The Defence Investment Plan outlines how Defence will outpace threats through sustained investment in warfighting readiness, the rapid introduction of new capabilities, and the integration of advanced and emerging technologies across the force. This requires a model of constant innovation and there is therefore no end state for the Integrated Force.

Evidence gathered through force testing events, as well as lessons identified from contemporary conflicts, will ensure we constantly evaluate the impact of changing technology on our force design and the threat trajectory of our adversaries. The Secretary of State will receive an annual statement detailing how the integrated force model has changed in response to ensure accountability for the continual adaptation of the Integrated Force over time.

This Government has taken difficult but necessary choices to prioritise capability that reflects modern warfare, ensuring resources are focused on what will deliver advantage in the years ahead.

The Ministry of Defence will only start new capability work on a specified and prioritised list of investments at the point each capability is demonstrably affordable and deliverable within its overall budget as assessed by the Principal Accounting Officer. The prioritised list of projects is classified, and therefore will not be made publicly available.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to Question 122757 on 30 April 2026 which sets out the Government's position on this matter. As referred to in Question 122757 the Defence Investment Plan is both a government document and plan.

Through NATO defence industrial and armaments forums, and bilateral meetings, the United Kingdom regularly engages with Allies on reducing unnecessary barriers to defence trade and industrial cooperation, including export control processes, technology transfer arrangements, standardisation, and interoperability requirements. In the Ankara Summit Declaration Allies reaffirmed their commitment to continue work to eliminate defence trade barriers and strengthen defence industrial cooperation.

The commitments announced at the NATO meeting in Ankara are reflected the Defence Investment Plan and are already part of the UK's future defence spending plans.

The Strategic Defence Review recognises the growing importance of autonomy and uncrewed systems in modern warfare and supports the increased adoption of these technologies across Defence. However, the UK remains committed to the responsible use of military capabilities and retains appropriate human involvement in decisions on the use of force. The Review does not provide for weapons systems operating outside the UK's established legal, ethical and policy frameworks.

The Defence Investment Plan sets out Defence’s planned investment in the capabilities, infrastructure and industrial capacity required to deliver the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review. The Plan focuses on Defence expenditure.

Defence works closely with other government departments to support wider national security objectives. Normal government fiscal and departmental processes reflect cross-government spending arrangements.

The Defence Investment Plan is backed by a Ministry of Defence budget totalling £298 billion over the next four years and sets out over £180 billion of investment in the integrated force across all domains, including £5 billion on drones.

Individual annual settlements across domains, and the programmes and platform within them, will be subject to future planning cycles.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, MOD Ministers and officials have maintained a continuous dialogue across government, the private sector, and with Ukrainian counterparts to enable UK industry to collaborate on and support Ukraine’s highest priorities.

The National Audit Office report in September 2024 on UK support to Ukraine recognised the speed, innovation and collaboration shown by MOD in equipping and supporting Ukraine. The changes we are making to our procurement rules are similarly increasing the speed of procurement for our own armed forces.

Our bilateral arrangements with Ukraine facilitate the exchange of battlefield technology, the co-development of cutting-edge military capability and the creation of new intellectual property, all of which will be reinforced by the UK defence business centre about to open in Kyiv to provide UK companies, particularly SMEs, greater access to Ukraine’s military challenges and Ukrainian industry.

Project CORVUS aims to provide a replacement to the Army’s Watchkeeper Uncrewed Aerial System, which is being retired from service with an Out of Service Date of March 2027.

Project CORVUS is subject to ongoing competition, and it would therefore be inappropriate to provide further detail at this stage.

We have established a Defence Investors Advisory Group (DIAG) to support the development of the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS). Since its establishment, the DIAG has met on five occasions over a nine-month period. This has been supplemented by wider stakeholder engagement sessions and targeted bilateral discussions with key industry and investment partners.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold a single estimate of future electricity use by each Front-Line Command of the Armed Forces. Future electricity demand will depend on a range of factors, including operational requirements, changes to the defence estate, technological developments and the electrification of equipment and infrastructure.

As we see a greater electrification of the battlefield, there will be new challenges on generation and transmission of electricity for defence. We are cognisant of these issues and working to deliver solutions to meet these challenges.

The MOD is pursuing opportunities to improve energy efficiency and enhance sustainable energy generation and resilience across the defence estate through targeted investment and commercial partnerships. This will ensure that future energy requirements can be met in support of operational effectiveness.

Vessels from the Royal Navy visited New Zealand on the below dates.

As set out in the Defence Investment Plan, the Ministry of Defence will invest £330 million over the next four years in critical underwater infrastructure protection, including enhanced capabilities for RFA PROTEUS. We will also explore opportunities to partner with industry and investors on commercially provided solutions to increase the resilience and protection of associated capabilities. The timelines associated with programme delivery remain will be determined as specific capability solutions are down selected.

The Government is confident that the Defence Investment Plan provides the resources needed to deliver the capability priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review. The plan places Defence on a stronger and more sustainable footing, backed by £298 billion of investment over the next four years, including an additional £15 billion above previous plans.

The plan invests in the capabilities required to meet current and future threats. This includes over £20 billion to increase the Army's lethality, over £11 billion for munitions stockpiles and production, over £5 billion in drones, over £2.5 billion for cyber capabilities, £790 million for homeland air and missile defence, and nearly £64 billion for the UK's nuclear enterprise and deterrent.

These investments ensure that Defence is better equipped to deliver the Strategic Defence Review's vision of enhanced warfighting readiness, deterrence and national resilience.

As set out in the Defence Investment Plan, the Ministry of Defence will invest £330 million over the next four years in critical underwater infrastructure protection, including enhanced capabilities for RFA PROTEUS. We will also explore opportunities to partner with industry and investors on commercially provided solutions to increase the resilience and protection of associated capabilities. The timelines associated with programme delivery remain will be determined as specific capability solutions are down selected.

As set out in the Defence Investment Plan, the Ministry of Defence will invest £330 million over the next four years in critical underwater infrastructure protection, including enhanced capabilities for RFA PROTEUS. We will also explore opportunities to partner with industry and investors on commercially provided solutions to increase the resilience and protection of associated capabilities. The timelines associated with programme delivery remain will be determined as specific capability solutions are down selected.

The Defence Investment Plan sets out how we will deliver and fund the Strategic Defence Review's recommendations between this year and financial year 2029-30.

Further decisions on the level of future increases in defence spending will be set out in the 2027 Spending Review as stated in the Defence Investment Plan.

The timing of the publication of the Defence Investment Plan has not adversely affected the United Kingdom's ability to defend itself. The Defence Investment Plan builds on investment already made in Defence and provides a funded framework to deliver the Strategic Defence Review, placing Defence on a stronger and more sustainable footing. It is backed by £298 billion over the next four years, including an additional £15 billion of spending power, and focuses on equipping our Armed Forces with the capabilities needed to deter and respond to current and future threats.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that Defence is adequately resourced to meet the challenges ahead.

The Defence Investment Plan is backed by £298 billion of investment over the next four years. It reaffirms the Government's commitment to strengthening the UK's defence industrial base, supporting economic growth and delivering the capabilities required by our Armed Forces. The Plan includes substantial investment in sovereign capabilities, such as shipbuilding, submarines, munitions production, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing. It also supports jobs and prosperity across all nations and regions of the United Kingdom.

Defence procurement is conducted in accordance with the relevant legislative and commercial frameworks. Decisions on individual contracts are based on capability requirements, national security considerations, operational advantage, value for money and wider economic benefits.

The Government wants to see more of a growing defence budget spent with British firms. Defence is an engine for growth, and we support the mission of the Prime Minister to reindustrialise and believe Defence can play a key part in doing so.

The review, chaired by Jonathan Simcock, is expected to complete in the autumn.