Defence: Procurement
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of procuring (a) lower-value and (b) highly attritable autonomous collaborative platforms in order to saturate defensive systems.
Answered by Luke Pollard
The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy, including Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs), within the UK's conventional forces over the next five years. High numbers of ACPs will be incorporated into the Integrated Force across the full breadth of operating environments as part of a '20-40-40' mix of capabilities alongside fifth and sixth generation platforms. This means combining advanced, crewed systems with cheaper, autonomous, and expendable assets to deliver greater mass, agility, and resilience.
We will prioritise investment in UK-based defence firms as part of this autonomy drive, aiming to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and enhance national security by fostering innovation and resilience within the sector. Investment opportunities with British Defence companies will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
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