14 Dec 23. Defence Committee launches Sub-Committee on Developing Defence AI. The Defence Committee is today launching a Sub-Committee on Developing AI Capacity and Expertise in UK Defence, chaired by Emma Lewell-Buck MP. The Sub-Committee’s inquiry will ask how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) can ensure the UK defence sector has the capacity and expertise it needs to be a leader in defence artificial intelligence (AI
The Sub-Committee will examine how the MOD can meet its aim, set out in the 2022 Defence AI Strategy, of strengthening the defence and security AI ecosystem. The Committee will consider how the MOD can best support the UK defence sector to reap the benefits of the growing importance of AI and champion UK tech to give the UK a competitive edge in AI development.
The inquiry will examine whether the MOD has clear priorities for the type of AI capacity the UK should have, and whether these are deliverable. The inquiry will also focus on UK industry, asking how the Government can help develop domestic engineering and software sectors and how UK AI companies can be embedded in defence supply chains, both domestically and internationally. The inquiry will take a look at AUKUS Pillar 2 and ask how the UK’s AI sector can be championed in this context.
The deadline for written evidence is Wednesday 17 January 2024.
Chair of the Sub-Committee on Developing Defence AI, Emma Lewell-Buck MP, said: “Artificial Intelligence has the potential to revolutionise the defence and security landscape. The UK needs to be ready to seize the opportunities presented by this change. AI technology is developing rapidly – if we don’t move fast now, we risk falling behind. British companies have what it takes to pioneer the defence technologies of tomorrow. Our inquiry will explore what the MOD is doing to ensure the UK’s defence sector has the capacity and the expertise it needs to be a world leader in AI-enabled defence. Eighteen months on from the publication of the MOD’s Defence AI Strategy, our Sub-Committee will ask whether the MOD is translating ambition into action. We will engage experts and industry to find out how the MOD can spur on innovation and research, as well as embed UK AI companies into defence supply chains at home and abroad. This inquiry will also explore how the UK’s AI sector can benefit from Pillar 2 of AUKUS and its focus on advanced capabilities.”
The Committee welcomes written evidence on the following:
- How clearly has the Ministry of Defence set out its priorities for the kind of AI capacity and expertise it believes the UK defence sector should have, what priorities has it identified, and are these deliverable?
- What strengths and expertise does UK industry currently have in the field of Artificial Intelligence with defence applications?
- How can the UK Government best develop capacity and expertise within domestic industry in sectors such as engineering and software to support the development and delivery of Artificial Intelligence applications in defence?
- What can the Government do to help embed UK AI companies in defence supply chains, both domestically and internationally?
- How can the UK Government ensure that it champions the UK AI sector in the context of Pillar 2 of the AUKUS Partnership?
Each submission should be no longer than 3,000 words and contain a brief introduction about the author. Submissions should be in malleable format such as MS Word (not PDFs) with no use of colour, logos or photos. Further guidance is available on our Written Evidence Guidance.
12 Dec 23. Nominations open for Chair of Defence Committee. The Speaker has announced the timetable for the election of the Chair of the Defence Select Committee following the resignation of Robert Courts MP.
Nominations close at noon on Tuesday 16 January 2024. If there is more than one candidate, a ballot will take place on Wednesday 17 January 2024 between 11am and 2.30pm.
Under the Order of the House of 16 January 2020, the Chair of the Defence Committee is allocated to the Conservative Party. Candidates require the support of 15 fellow Conservative MPs for their nomination to be valid.
If only one MP is nominated for the role, they are elected unopposed. If two or more MPs stand, there follows a ballot where MPs vote by ranking candidates in order of preference. Votes are later counted under the Alternative Vote system. The result is expected to be announced in the Chamber later that day.
Valid nominations received on sitting days will be printed in the next day’s House business papers. They will also be published on the Parliament website along with the candidate’s supporting statement, signatories and any declared interests.
11 Dec 23. Lords’ defence report prioritises Arctic High North over Indo-Pacific. The UK government faces questions on how to deploy its limited defence resources between the Arctic and Indo-Pacific, a Lords’ report finds. The UK should prioritise military and strategic concerns in the High North instead of the Indo-Pacific region, said former Chief of Defence Staff Lord Graham Stirrup, in an interview accompanying the release of a House of Lords’ report into the UK’s strategic position regarding the Arctic, ‘Our Friends in the North’ on 29 November.
The House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee published the report following an inquiry begun in April 2023 focused on Arctic security threats and defence capabilities. According to to the report the the UK government has a growing interest in both the High North and the Indo-Pacific regions. However, the report expresses concern that the UK may not have sufficient military assets to support its increased focus on the Arctic alongside its growing interest in other regions such as the Indo-Pacific.
The report highlights the importance of the Arctic region for the UK’s national security and economic interests, as melting ice opens up new shipping routes and access to natural resources. However, the UK’s military resources are currently stretched thin, with a long-term deployment to the Indo-Pacific and the need to protect the nuclear deterrent.
The ‘Indo-Pacific tilt’ had been a burgeoning concern for the US Department of Defence in the years running up to the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Previous to that attack, US strategic policy had prioritised the Indo-Pacific as a region for greater attention, with growing concern over containing China’s regional hegemony. However, pressing security concern for the UK that have evolved in closer theatres over recent years.
Neighbours in the High North
The report highlights the historical precedent that most major conflicts in Europe have included an Arctic element, and it suggests that any regional conflict between NATO and Russia would likely spill over into the Arctic. The report also emphasises the strategic importance of the Kola Peninsula, on Russia’s North-Western coast, particularly as the base for many of its nuclear forces, submarines, and bombers, which could be involved in the event of a broader conflict between Russia and Nato.
“One of the things that emerged from the inquiry and you will seen is that nobody really expects a war between Nato and Russia to kick off in the Arctic. Nobody expects that, [but] of course, you couldn’t completely rule it out,” said Lord Stirrup. “But it is extremely probable that if there is some kind is sparking some kind of conflict between Nato and Russia, it will involve the Arctic to a considerable degree. So we have to be ready for that.”
The report recommends that the UK develop a comprehensive Arctic strategy that takes into account the region’s unique geopolitical and environmental challenges. This strategy should include measures to enhance the UK’s military presence in the region, as well as investments in research and development to support sustainable economic growth.
“It seems to me is, in the near term, at least, the priorities are going to be in Europe on the High North and the Atlantic.”
Lord Stirrup
“The question for the government is going to be – and this will translate through into capabilities – what is really the most significant areas which we should be paying attention to militarily? Is it the High North, or is it Indo-Pacific? And my reply to that would be it should be the High North.
“In purely military terms, not in wider diplomatic, economic industrial terms. The Indo-Pacific is a key strategic region for us, but in pure in terms of pure military capability, given the kind of defence budget that we have, we’re going to have to prioritise. It seems to me is, in the near term, at least, the priorities are going to be in Europe on the High North and the Atlantic.”
Stirrup suggests that the investment includes increased maritime capabilities, with a focus on the subsurface domain, but also air assets for reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as specialist ground capabilities, traditionally provided through the Royal Marines.
The report discusses the UK’s acquisition of a new fleet of P-8A Poseidon aircraft in 2020 for anti-submarine warfare operations and the expected entry into service of a new fleet of three E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning aircraft scheduled to be delivered in 2024. These platforms are highlighted as essential for providing aerial and maritime surveillance and contributing to operations in the High North.
Arctic escalation and a larger Nato
“In the Arctic, in particular, we need to make sure that the capabilities and structures are in place that quite patently would be able to inflict unacceptable damage on an adversary, and to do that in as non confrontational a way as possible. Because, of course, we don’t want to give rise to unintended consequences as a result of our actions, in terms of building up forces.”
The report notes that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO is likely to reinforce the Russian leadership’s perception of NATO “encirclement,” which could have implications for Russia’s force posture in the Arctic, and goes on to highlight the strategic and organisational challenges presented by Finland and Sweden’s NATO accession, including the need to increase training of land forces in cold weather conditions and the desire for Finland and Sweden to be part of the same Joint Force Command as Norway to consolidate Nordic defence cooperation and interoperability.
“So that’s the challenge for military planners, for Nato planners, is how to make sure that Finland and hopefully Sweden are incorporated into Nato in a way that enhances deterrence in the high north without seeming overly provocative, bearing in mind that Russia is going to regard almost any Nato action as provocative.”
Based on witness evidence from the RAND corporation, report suggests that Finland and Sweden’s NATO accession provides an opportunity for the UK to deepen its defence cooperation with the Nordic states, including increased intelligence sharing and learning from their Total Defense concepts, which emphasise “bolstering national preparedness and societal and psychological resilience in the face of sub-threshold threats”.
(Source: airforce-technology.com)
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Defence: Technology
Question for Ministry of Defence
Maria Eagle
Labour
Garston and Halewood
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support the development of new defence technologies.
Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 13 December 2023
The Ministry of Defence is investing £6.6 billion in Research and Development, working with UK industry and academia to ensure we are developing the technologies Defence needs.
Ministry of Defence: Consultants
Question for Ministry of Defence
John Healey
Labour
Wentworth and Dearne
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s Departmental Resource 2023 statistics published on 30 November 2023, for what reason his Department spent £11 million on external consultants related to finance in 2022-23.
Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 13 December 2023
The expenditure supported a number of initiatives in the Department requiring finance consultancy expertise, in order to deliver Defence priorities.
Ministry of Defence: ICT
Question for Ministry of Defence
John Healey
Labour
Wentworth and Dearne
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) Infrastructure and Projects Authority and (b) Senior Responsible Owner rating was of the New Style of Information Technology Deployed in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 13 December 2023
Delivery Confidence Assessments as assessed by the Senior Responsible Owner and Infrastructure and Projects Authority were released in July 2023 and can be found at: Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report 2022-23 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk(opens in a new tab))
Where information has been withheld it is in accordance with the applied and absolute exemptions as listed the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and only after a public interest test has been undertaken.
General Dynamics: Ajax Vehicles
Question for Ministry of Defence
Maria Eagle
Labour
Garston and Halewood
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has met General Dynamics to discuss the Ajax project since his appointment.
Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 13 December 2023
The Secretary of State has not yet had the opportunity to meet with General Dynamics but remains committed to continuing engagement with the UK defence sector
Ministry of Defence: Procurement
Question for Ministry of Defence
Question
Maria Eagle
Labour
Garston and Halewood
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of procurement processes within his Department.
Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 13 December 2023
Under the Procurement Act 2023 the Ministry of Defence will be part of a step change in transparency and openness. This will include a drive for increased pre-market engagement and a single central platform for contract data which will give increased access to certain procurement information. The Act will make it easier for industry to understand defence ways of working and will allow the Department to be more accountable.
Devonport Dockyard: Repairs and Maintenance
Question for Ministry of Defence
John Healey
Labour
Wentworth and Dearne
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the projected whole life costs were for the Submarine Waterfront Infrastructure Future programme in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.
Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 13 December 2023
Portfolio data is published annually in support of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Annual Report which includes a budget baseline and the latest HM Treasury approved estimates in respect of whole life costs. The reports are published here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/major-projects-data
Defence Equipment
Question for Ministry of Defence
Maria Eagle
Labour
Garston and Halewood
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q4 of the oral evidence given by Vice Admiral Andy Kyte to the Committee of Public Accounts on 13 November 2023, HC 66, what the key conclusions were of the review commissioned by the Permanent Secretary of his…
Show full question
Answer
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
Answered on 13 December 2023
The review commissioned by Commander UK Strategic Command (UKStratCom), concluded that the Support Function should:
- Adjust the Defence Support Operating Model (DSOM) to ‘Focus deliverables, enhance Direct’;
- Defence Support and Top Level Budgets (TLBs) to more effectively collaborate on efficiencies and benefits;
- Relaunch the Support Functional narrative;
- Defence Support and DE&S to enhance constructive two-way engagement;
- Defence Support should develop a plan to measure and monitor the maturity of the Function; and
- Defence Support, UK Strategic Command and the Directorate of Sponsorship and Organisational Policy (DSOP) to strengthen the engagement between the Support Function and other Defence Functions.