Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 110
Consider the contribution of drones and space technology to High North defence objectives.
Conclusion
As part of the review into cold-weather capability recommended above, the UK Government should consider what contribution a) drones and b) space technology should make to meeting defence and security objectives in the North Atlantic and the High North. Its conclusions should be published as part of that report, before Parliament is dissolved for the next general election.
Government Response Summary
The government details its National Space Strategy, £50 million funding for UK space markets including Scottish launches, and the upcoming Defence Uncrewed Systems (UxS) Strategy which aims to ensure UxS meet challenges in all operating environments.
Paragraph Reference:
110
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Access to space is of vital importance to our daily lives and to the Armed Forces. The National Space Strategy sets out the government’s approach to developing this sector and supporting UK companies working on space. As this strategy notes, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is working with stakeholders across the UK, including Scotland, to understand how HMG support can deliver growth based on local strengths and capabilities, and strengthen the UK space ecosystem. The Government is also working closely with the Scottish Government, innovation and enterprise agencies to maximise the opportunities offered by launch from Scotland and ensure the benefits are shared right across the UK. DSIT has made £50 million available to grow new UK markets for small satellite launch and sub- orbital spaceflight, including £31.5 million to help establish vertical launch services from Scotland. For the space sector in general, we are developing a joint civil-defence Space Sector Plan with DSIT, building on the National Space Strategy, the Defence Space Strategy, and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy. We will continue to engage with the sector as we deliver this work, ensuring that along with value for money; social value, and development of crucial skills, are all considered when letting contracts. The UK also has a rich history of developing and operating Uncrewed Systems (UxS) over the last century; more recently this has included development of systems that operate across all three domains to perform a variety of functions, from last-mile resupply and logistics to delivering direct operational effects. The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted emergent themes that clearly indicate the challenges of using UxS in the contemporary battlespace; to unify the MOD’s response to these challenges, a Defence UxS Strategy has been written that is in the final stages of approval. The Strategy lays out Defence’s vision for UxS and the strategic outcomes to be achieved in addition to describing the ways and means to do so. The Strategy highlights the requirement for our development of UxS to be threat-led and adaptable to the operating environment; adherence to the Strategy will ensure that UK UxSs are developed to meet the threats and challenges of operating in the full range of likely operating environments.