Emergencies
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 90 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on establishing a programme of exercises to test plans for response to an armed attack on (a) the UK and (b) NATO allies.
Answered by Al Carns
The Government regularly performs exercises on its ability to respond to an armed attack on the United Kingdom and our NATO Allies.
The Ministry of Defence works closely with the Cabinet Office and the Home Office to test and strengthen national resilience and home defence arrangements. These exercises enhance coordination between the Armed Forces, civil authorities and emergency services, ensuring the UK remains prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any armed threat.
In addition, NATO has an extensive set of plans outlining how to respond to an armed attack on any Ally, including the UK. These exercises enhance Allied interoperability, validate defence and deterrence strategies, and reinforce the credibility of NATO's collective defence posture.
The largest of these exercises is the STEADFAST series, NATO's most extensive and comprehensive exercise programme. Last year, Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER 2024, the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War, involved around 20,000 UK personnel.
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