Unmanned Marine Systems: Minesweepers
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, page 26, what is the full scope of the £1.1 billion autonomous mine-hunting capability programme he intends to procure jointly with France.
Answered by Luke Pollard
The Defence Investment Plan states that the Department will deliver the full scope of the next phase of the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme. This programme forms part of Defence's wider investment in the Royal Navy's Hybrid Navy and will deliver enhanced autonomous mine countermeasures capability. The MHC programme will deliver three Offshore Support Vessels (OSV), and six Mission Systems’ worth of equipment, capable of delivering the full end-to-end process for sea mine detection to neutralisation.
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