Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to upgrade the AFV fleet.

Stuart Andrew, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Defence Procurement: The Army is undergoing an ambitious vehicle capability upgrade across several of its key armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) platforms. This includes purchasing 589 new Ajax armoured vehicles - the biggest single order for UK military vehicles for three decades - the first of which was delivered to the Army earlier this year. The Ministry of Defence is also making significant investments into the Army's existing armoured vehicle platforms to enhance the lethality and survivability capability of the Challenger 2 tanks and Warrior vehicles. These programmes enable the British Army to maintain its warfighting edge through an AFV fleet with advanced combat and intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities that will maintain their relevance to 2040 and beyond.

Hansard

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