The UK undertakes regular analysis of NATO flying training system opportunities via participation in the NATO Flying Training Europe High Visibility Project, the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training system and the International Flying Training School. Output is reviewed for quality, safety and value for money to ensure the Combat Air requirement is met for new Fast Jet Pilots.

Typhoons were launched as part of the NATO Enhanced Air Policing Mission for Aircraft causing concern to civil controllers and drones which were approaching the NATO Air Policing area of responsibility. Many of the incidents were resolved prior to interception.

Through Military Aid to the Civil Authorities, Defence can bolster civilian responders and help protect communities. Deploying military personnel can give Fire and Rescue Services additional capacity to carry out general duties, logistics and transport tasks when the Fire Service are under significant pressure.

In August 2026, Defence deployed 200 Service personnel to support South West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. This included transporting water and clearing vegetation, allowing firefighters to focus their efforts on containing and extinguishing the fire.

The UK and Ireland work closely together under the refreshed UK-Ireland Defence Memorandum of Understanding which prioritises cooperation in both the air and maritime domains. The UK does not comment on operational taskings.

The UK and Ireland work closely together on shared security challenges under the refreshed UK-Ireland Defence Memorandum of Understanding which prioritises cooperation in the air, cyber, and maritime domains. However, the UK is not responsible for defending the airspace of Ireland, and matters relating to the defence of Ireland remain for the Irish Government.

The Fifth Generation Land Force will transform and modernise the future Land Force as part of the Integrated Force Design 2035 as set out in the Strategic Defence Review for modern NATO warfighting.

The work is continuing to evolve and is examining how personnel, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, digital networks and precision effects can be integrated to deliver a more lethal, networked and recce-strike enabled force. The work is also informing future concepts, force structures and capability development.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question 27303 on 9 September 2026.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-09-04/27303

The UK Government is steadfast in its support for the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to maintaining a defensive military presence in the South Atlantic to ensure the protection of the Falkland Islands. Our defences in the South Atlantic are robust, consisting of air, land, and maritime forces with a strong permanent presence on the Falkland Islands. I am confident that our military presence is at the appropriate level for the defence of the Islands, and we keep this under constant review.

The Government is focused upon improving Armed Forces recruitment, modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract the best possible talent across all roles and missions within the Armed Forces. Defence is already delivering a range of new and more flexible routes into service designed to widen participation, attract specialist talent and improve access to military careers.

Work is being conducted to assess the compatibility of relevant projects/activities in the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office with the USAF Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA).

For example, the UK's PYRAMID Technical Standard open avionics system reference architecture developed by the Ministry of Defence has been shown to be compatible with the A-GRA.

The RAF does not hold a definitive list of in-service platforms designated as not compatible with the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard.

There is no regulatory or certification requirements to record whether all systems and architecture within aircraft platform types are compatible with that technical standard.

Many individual systems across our in-service fleets will be fully compatible with that standard and the RAF is pursuing open and modular architectures for future avionics and mission systems (including FACE), to improve interoperability, upgradeability and competition.

The United Kingdom considers itself the nearest neighbour to the Arctic region and recognises that the security of this region is inextricably linked to our own national security. By assuming command of NATO's Joint Force Command Norfolk, which is responsible for coordinating Alliance activity under Arctic Sentry, the United Kingdom will demonstrate the growing leadership role of European Allies within NATO. This aligns with the Ankara Summit Declaration's commitment to a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.

The UK's contribution to Arctic Sentry is also illustrated by recent deployments, notably Operation Firecrest, under the leadership of HMS Prince of Wales. Supported by HMS Duncan, RFA Tidespring, F-35B Lightning aircraft, rotary-wing assets, and advanced uncrewed systems, the deployment demonstrated the UK's ability to project credible, multi-domain military capability in support of NATO's enhanced deterrence and defence objectives across the Arctic region.

The United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group is a sovereign capability that is international by design. Its ability to integrate seamlessly with Allied ships and aircraft strengthens, rather than diminishes, that capability by increasing reach, resilience and deterrent effect. This approach reflects the way NATO operates in practice and is central to the operational concept of Carrier Strike.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) implements the UK’s ‘NATO First’ approach. It places NATO requirements at the heart of UK capability planning and has been developed to deliver the optimal UK contribution into NATO’s warfighting plans, driving vital transformation of our warfighting approach and modernisation of our Armed forces.

We are prioritising our focus on deterrence and warfighting in the Euro-Atlantic, taking tough decisions to ensure we invest in the best kit for our Armed Forces. We have always met our NATO spending commitments and remain one of the top defence spenders in the Alliance as NATO's third-largest cash spender on defence, based on the latest figures.

As set out in the DIP: The Government has committed to increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP in the next Parliament, with funding and plans to be set out at the next spending review where defence will be the number one priority. Alongside NATO allies, the UK has committed to reach 3.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) 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.

As set out in the DIP, our investments within the Integrated Force have been tailored to include lessons learned from recent and ongoing conflicts, focusing on capabilities that will counter emerging threats to our Armed Forces and the UK. The DIP also secures funding for critical warfighting enabling capabilities, such as our previously underfunded infrastructure and in developing UK Defence Industry capacity. These combined efforts will allow us to deter threats through our warfighting readiness and sustain forces deployed on operations.

The Space Systems Portfolio in the National Armament Directorate (NAD) Group will drive assured availability, resilience and operational integration of space systems capabilities to ensure the Integrated Force is ready to deter, fight and win. This portfolio is in the first tranche of portfolios that have achieved stand-up.

As part of working with other government departments and commercial partners, the Royal Navy is working closely with the Cabinet Office, DSIT, DESNZ, DfT, the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC), industry partners and international allies to strengthen the security and resilience of the UK's undersea infrastructure.

Alongside the continued work with JEF, NATO and international partners to track potential threats, further efforts are focused on clarifying departmental responsibilities, enhancing maritime domain awareness and intelligence sharing, improving cross-Whitehall coordination and developing advanced surveillance and response capabilities through initiatives such as Atlantic Bastion. Within this framework, the Royal Navy is emerging as the lead operational authority for countering state-based threats to UK undersea infrastructure, while supporting wider government and commercial partners responsible for regulation, resilience and recovery.

The UK is working with our Allies to facilitate greater coherence between conventional and nuclear components of NATO’s deterrence and defence posture. The Nuclear Planning Group (NPG), NATO's senior body for nuclear deterrence matters, met in a regular Ministerial Session on 18 June 2026. NPG Ministers recalled that the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance remain the supreme guarantee of Allied security and underpin NATO's extended deterrence architecture. NPG Ministers agreed to continue enhancing NATO's nuclear deterrence mission by modernising NATO's nuclear capabilities, strengthening its nuclear planning capacity, and adapting to achieve its security interests.

The Ministry of Defence is both updating its own Homeland Defence and transition to war plans through 2026 and playing a significant role in the wider cross-Government Home Defence Programme, in order to ensure all plans are aligned in meeting needs in the event of escalation to war.

As part of this, Defence is taking steps to strengthen our future readiness. Through the Armed Forces Bill 2026, Defence is seeking to increase its powers and flexibility to call out and/or recall former personnel at pace and scale in a potential crisis such as a transition to war. Similarly, Defence Readiness legislation is being developed in line with the Strategic Defence Review recommendations.

Defence is continuing to work closely with the Cabinet Office and other Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Lead Government Departments to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations on the protection of CNI. A number of options for providing supplementary contingent forces are under consideration and plans will be presented to the Secretary of State by December 2026.

We are working across Government to take a data-driven approach to identifying the CNI most essential to the UK’s ability to sustain and respond to conflict. By contributing Defence data to the Cabinet Office's CNI Knowledge Base, we are fulfilling the commitments set out in the Resilience Action Plan and improving our understanding of the infrastructure, dependencies and vulnerabilities that would be most critical in a conflict scenario.

This analysis is informing our Home Defence planning by ensuring that we align Defence resources and capabilities to the protection of the most important infrastructure against a broad spectrum of threats, from hybrid activity through to conventional conflict. It will also help to identify what Defence could contribute to support the protection of other priority CNI that is essential to the functioning of the country.

The National Conversation is a programme of public engagement led by the Cabinet Office as part of the Home Defence Programme. Delivery is already underway and will continue through 2027. It is intended to improve public understanding of defence and national security, strengthen societal resilience and help ensure the UK is better prepared for any future shocks or challenges. The Cabinet Office, as the lead Government Department for the Home Defence Programme, is responsible for the overarching strategy.

Defence is playing a full and active role in delivering the National Conversation, through undertaking dedicated communications activities, which are designed to build public awareness of the evolving security environment. The Armed Forces continue to undertake regular community engagement events across the UK, including through Armed Forces Day, while opportunities to serve in, and contribute to, Defence are being promoted through national outreach and media activity. Defence has also strengthened engagement with Local Resilience Forums and community partners through a comprehensive programme of testing and exercising activities.

Looking ahead, Defence will continue to support delivery of the National Conversation, with Government messaging on defence, security and resilience becoming increasingly visible in advance of planned Tier 1 national Home Defence exercises in spring 2027.