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Autonomous Weapons

Asked by Dr Neil Shastri-HurstConservativeMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 21 July 2025UIN 67687

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Departments is taking to assess the feasibility of retrofitting existing platforms for autonomous capability.

Answered by Maria Eagle

The Strategic Defence Review recognised that the RAF must stay at the leading edge of combat air's evolution, through the transition from exclusively crewed combat air platforms to a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with a mix of crewed, uncrewed, and increasingly autonomous platforms, integrated into the UK's digital targeting web. The future of the RAF lies in accelerating its adoption of the latest technology and innovation. That will be considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan, and in subsequent force development work.

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