MoD weapons and armoured vehicle spend revealed

The Ministry of Defence spent nearly £2.6 billion on weapons, ammunition, and armoured fighting vehicles during the 2023–24 financial year, according to a letter from Defence Minister Maria Eagle MP to her colleague Helen Maguire MP.

In response to a written parliamentary question, Eagle provided a breakdown of the department’s spending for the past two financial years.

The figures show that in 2023–24, the MoD spent £1.88 billion on weapons and ammunition and a further £553.3 million on armoured fighting vehicles. This followed spending of £2.11 billion and £546.7 million respectively in 2022–23.

“The Ministry of Defence does not routinely release forecast or in-year costs as they are subject to revision throughout the financial year,” Eagle noted in the letter, adding that spending estimates for 2024–25 would be made public only once final accounts are closed and audited.

The data provided reflects core programme spending only, excluding equipment supplied under the HM Treasury Special Reserve for Operations — such as the UK’s extensive military support to Ukraine. According to the letter, “a significant portion of our £3 billion support to Ukraine relates to the rapid procurement of equipment and this would not be captured in these figures.”

The figures also exclude other associated costs, including enabling services, radar systems related to munitions, testing, disposal, and integration expenses for complex weapon platforms. Additionally, the MoD clarified that certain items — such as firearms or aircraft with weapons payloads — are not included in the spending totals.

Eagle added that these numbers do not fully reflect the overlapping nature of some programmes, and that the weapon category covers a broad spectrum of capabilities.

The letter, dated 27 March 2025, concluded by stating that a copy would be placed in the House of Commons Library for reference.