Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the statement on the Defence Command Paper, published 22 March 2021, whether his Department plans to increase the F-35 fleet beyond 48 aircraft as committed to within that Statement.
Answer
The 2021 Integrated Review confirmed our ambition to continue the growth of the UK Lightning Force beyond 48 aircraft. We are currently undertaking a period of detailed analysis to evaluate the scale and timeline for procurement of our second tranche of F35B Lightning aircraft together with associated infrastructure and support requirements.