This Government has ended the underfunding and hollowing out of our Armed Forces that we inherited from the last administration.

Backed by £298 billion of investment over the next four years, the Defence Investment Plan will deliver a step change in capability, transforming our Armed Forces and realising the vision set out in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review.

We have not waited for the publication of the Defence Investment Plan to take action. Since July 2024, we have awarded more than 1,400 defence contracts, with 94% of their total value going to UK-based businesses, strengthening our defence industrial base and supporting jobs and growth across the country. Last year alone, we spent more than £31 billion with UK industry – an above inflation increase in spending.

The UK MOD has an established policy for addressing Intellectual Property (IP), and all MOD projects are expected to set out a clear IP Strategy to ensure that IP is adequately protected, whilst securing maximum impact for our armed forces and value for money for the taxpayer.

The MOD will apply this policy to AI projects in the following ways:

1. Where AI technology is developed in-house by MOD research establishments, the IP in that technology will be owned by MOD and will be appropriately protected. Subject to any national security constraints, dual-use technology will be considered for exploitation in the wider economy, including through engagement with MOD’s wholly owned technology transfer company Ploughshare.

2. Where AI technology is developed by contractors on MOD’s behalf, our general policy is to leave the ownership of that technology with the contractors concerned, as they are best placed to pursue the commercial exploitation of that technology in other fields. MOD will take appropriate user rights in that technology to ensure that it can be fully exploited by our armed forces, and, subject to national security concerns, will encourage Industry to further exploit dual-use technology with other customers for the benefit of the wider economy.

Taskforce RAID is taking steps to deliver advantage in denied and degraded environments by improving our understanding of how adversaries operate in the electromagnetic environment, and by strengthening the UK’s ability to counter that activity. This work will support a real-time understanding of the electromagnetic environment, drawing on information from multiple sources to help deliver operational effect at a time and place of the UK’s choosing.

The Defence Investment Plan provides full funding for the recommendations set out in the Strategic Defence Review. The Government accepted all of the Review’s recommendations, and significant progress has already been made in delivering them, including the establishment of the Military Intelligence Service and the publication of the Defence Diplomacy Strategy.

The Defence Investment Plan 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.

Evidence gathered through force testing events, as well as lessons identified from contemporary conflicts, will ensure we constantly evaluate the impact of changing technology on our force design and the threat trajectory of our adversaries. The Secretary of State will receive an annual statement detailing how the integrated force model has changed in response to ensure accountability for the continual adaptation of the Integrated Force over time.

This Government has taken difficult but necessary choices to prioritise capability that reflects modern warfare, ensuring resources are focused on what will deliver advantage in the years ahead.

The Ministry of Defence will only start new capability work on a specified and prioritised list of investments at the point each capability is demonstrably affordable and deliverable within its overall budget as assessed by the Principal Accounting Officer. The prioritised list of projects is classified, and therefore will not be made publicly available.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to Question 122757 on 30 April 2026 which sets out the Government's position on this matter. As referred to in Question 122757 the Defence Investment Plan is both a government document and plan.

Through NATO defence industrial and armaments forums, and bilateral meetings, the United Kingdom regularly engages with Allies on reducing unnecessary barriers to defence trade and industrial cooperation, including export control processes, technology transfer arrangements, standardisation, and interoperability requirements. In the Ankara Summit Declaration Allies reaffirmed their commitment to continue work to eliminate defence trade barriers and strengthen defence industrial cooperation.

The commitments announced at the NATO meeting in Ankara are reflected the Defence Investment Plan and are already part of the UK's future defence spending plans.

The Defence Investment Plan sets out Defence’s planned investment in the capabilities, infrastructure and industrial capacity required to deliver the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review. The Plan focuses on Defence expenditure.

Defence works closely with other government departments to support wider national security objectives. Normal government fiscal and departmental processes reflect cross-government spending arrangements.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, MOD Ministers and officials have maintained a continuous dialogue across government, the private sector, and with Ukrainian counterparts to enable UK industry to collaborate on and support Ukraine’s highest priorities.

The National Audit Office report in September 2024 on UK support to Ukraine recognised the speed, innovation and collaboration shown by MOD in equipping and supporting Ukraine. The changes we are making to our procurement rules are similarly increasing the speed of procurement for our own armed forces.

Our bilateral arrangements with Ukraine facilitate the exchange of battlefield technology, the co-development of cutting-edge military capability and the creation of new intellectual property, all of which will be reinforced by the UK defence business centre about to open in Kyiv to provide UK companies, particularly SMEs, greater access to Ukraine’s military challenges and Ukrainian industry.

We have established a Defence Investors Advisory Group (DIAG) to support the development of the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS). Since its establishment, the DIAG has met on five occasions over a nine-month period. This has been supplemented by wider stakeholder engagement sessions and targeted bilateral discussions with key industry and investment partners.

The Government is confident that the Defence Investment Plan provides the resources needed to deliver the capability priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review. The plan places Defence on a stronger and more sustainable footing, backed by £298 billion of investment over the next four years, including an additional £15 billion above previous plans.

The plan invests in the capabilities required to meet current and future threats. This includes over £20 billion to increase the Army's lethality, over £11 billion for munitions stockpiles and production, over £5 billion in drones, over £2.5 billion for cyber capabilities, £790 million for homeland air and missile defence, and nearly £64 billion for the UK's nuclear enterprise and deterrent.

These investments ensure that Defence is better equipped to deliver the Strategic Defence Review's vision of enhanced warfighting readiness, deterrence and national resilience.

As set out in the Defence Investment Plan, the Ministry of Defence will invest £330 million over the next four years in critical underwater infrastructure protection, including enhanced capabilities for RFA PROTEUS. We will also explore opportunities to partner with industry and investors on commercially provided solutions to increase the resilience and protection of associated capabilities. The timelines associated with programme delivery remain will be determined as specific capability solutions are down selected.

The Defence Investment Plan sets out how we will deliver and fund the Strategic Defence Review's recommendations between this year and financial year 2029-30.

Further decisions on the level of future increases in defence spending will be set out in the 2027 Spending Review as stated in the Defence Investment Plan.

The timing of the publication of the Defence Investment Plan has not adversely affected the United Kingdom's ability to defend itself. The Defence Investment Plan builds on investment already made in Defence and provides a funded framework to deliver the Strategic Defence Review, placing Defence on a stronger and more sustainable footing. It is backed by £298 billion over the next four years, including an additional £15 billion of spending power, and focuses on equipping our Armed Forces with the capabilities needed to deter and respond to current and future threats.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that Defence is adequately resourced to meet the challenges ahead.

The Defence Investment Plan is backed by £298 billion of investment over the next four years. It reaffirms the Government's commitment to strengthening the UK's defence industrial base, supporting economic growth and delivering the capabilities required by our Armed Forces. The Plan includes substantial investment in sovereign capabilities, such as shipbuilding, submarines, munitions production, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing. It also supports jobs and prosperity across all nations and regions of the United Kingdom.

Defence procurement is conducted in accordance with the relevant legislative and commercial frameworks. Decisions on individual contracts are based on capability requirements, national security considerations, operational advantage, value for money and wider economic benefits.

The Government wants to see more of a growing defence budget spent with British firms. Defence is an engine for growth, and we support the mission of the Prime Minister to reindustrialise and believe Defence can play a key part in doing so.

The UK is committed to deepening its defence industrial partnership with Ukraine, including by helping Ukrainian defence technology companies engage with UK industry, innovation networks, and potential routes to production, especially where these align with UK capability priorities and national security requirements.

The Ministry of Defence works across Government, including with the Department for Business and Trade, Task Force Kindred, DASA, Dstl and UK Defence Innovation, to connect Ukrainian companies with UK commercial, research, testing, and investment pathways. They also highlight trade opportunities, engage with Ukrainian government, military, and industry stakeholders, and support the navigation of operating and compliance requirements. Officials have engaged with representatives of the UK/EU-Ukraine Defence Innovation Corridor and provided advice on how that early-stage proposal could align with existing UK-Ukraine defence innovation activity.

The Ministry of Defence continues to identify and exploit defence and industrial collaboration opportunities with Ukraine. Under our 100-Year Partnership, we are establishing stronger and closer defence cooperation both on a governmental and industrial basis.

Through Programme LYRA, launched by the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy in June 2025, we have facilitated co-production arrangements, including the development of new, shared, intellectual property and cutting-edge capability. The recent update to Ukraine's export control regime, earlier this month is welcomed.

Under our 100-Year Partnership we will build an enduring alliance between our two countries and deliver maximum benefit for both the UK and Ukraine's long-term security and prosperity.

The Defence Investment Plan demonstrates the commitment of this Government to meet and respond to the rising threats and demands on Defence. The £74 billion allocated to the Ministry of Defence forfinancial year 2027-28 is £20 billion more for our Armed Forces than the last year of the previous Government and the budget will continue to grow in real terms for the rest of this Parliament.

As set out in last year's Defence Industrial Strategy, we are revamping our procurement framework, delivering a comprehensive review of defence contracting to incentivise productivity and improve delivery. This includes our new approach to segmented procurement as well as shifting our approach away from setting detailed plans for overspecified, overly long programmes in favour of rapid procurement of new capabilities, based on portfolios and thematic pipelines of spend.