In a series of written answers on 9 September, Defence Minister Luke Pollard set out the government’s position on strengthening the UK and European defence industrial base, highlighting both collaboration with allies and resilience at home.
Responding to Ben Obese-Jecty MP, Pollard stressed that “at this critical moment for the security of our continent, it is important that we work together with our European allies to strengthen our collective defence industrial base, recognising that the UK is an essential part of Europe’s security.”
He pointed to the recently announced Security and Defence partnership with the EU as the framework for such work. “We have agreed to explore closer co-operation and joint investment in our defence industrial base. In the first instance, the partnership creates a basis for broad consultations on defence readiness and defence industry,” he said.
Preventing market fragmentation was identified as a key shared interest. As Pollard put it, “preventing the fragmentation of the European defence markets is in the shared interests of the UK and the EU, both for our collective security and to allow our industry to collaborate, avoid duplication and increase standardisation.”
In a separate answer, Obese-Jecty pressed the minister on whether the UK could meet the full spectrum of industrial demands in a high-intensity conflict. Pollard replied that “through commitments made in the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Department is investing heavily in its supply chain to develop a more resilient, innovative and agile approach to managing and mitigating risks across the Defence enterprise.”
He added that the department was “standing up a supply chain focussed scenario planning and wargaming capability, including a roadmap of activities to stress-test scenarios to allow us to accelerate to surge capacity during times of conflict.” The objective, he said, is to “strengthen operational resilience, ensuring front-line forces remain supported and mission success is not compromised, even in contested environments.”
was “standing up a supply chain focussed scenario planning and wargaming capability, including a roadmap of activities to stress-test scenarios to allow us to accelerate to surge capacity during times of conflict.”
Get a Logistics Manager from DHL
Drop it;
Hide it; and
Lose it
“We have agreed to explore closer co-operation and joint investment in our defence industrial base. In the first instance, the partnership creates a basis for broad consultations on defence readiness and defence industry,” he said. A whole new level of potential Committee work on offer here surely for the retirees looking to supplement their pensions. Wonder what the hourly rate is.
The late great and fictional Sir Humphrey would be proud of having instructed Bernard to come up with a long paragraph that appeared to say much and commit to nothing!
Did anyone tell the French, we are a non EU nation leading the only European 6th Gen aircraft effort that is actually moving forward and we are major contributors in every European defence project.
France in the other hand 😀