Question follow-through · 41789

Challenger Tanks: Procurement

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the total cost of the Challenger 3 programme which include budget increases due to (a) technical challenges or (b) inflation; and how this aligns with the original £800 million

answeredMinistry of Defence

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Ministry of Defence
Tabled
27 Mar 2025
Target answer date
1 Apr 2025
Answer
1 Apr 2025 · 5 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Votes on this topic

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

  1. 27 Mar 2025

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the total cost of the Challenger 3 programme which include budget increases due to (a) technical challenges or (b) inflation; and how this aligns with the original £800 million

  2. 1 Apr 2025

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 1 Apr 2025

    Answer published

    There have not been any increases to the total budget for the Armour Main Battle Tank programme due to technical challenges or inflation. The Approved Budgetary Level for the programme remains £1.9 billion and includes the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land con...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

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Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Ministry of Defence: Written Questions

2 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 36052 on Strategic Defence Review: Contracts, tabled on 6 March 2025 by the Rt hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Strategic Defence Review

7 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Strategic Defence Review will be published before the Comprehensive Spending Review on the 11th June.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Strategic Defence Review: Public Appointments

8 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 36052 on Strategic Defence Review: Contracts, whether there have been any amendments to the (a) duration, (b) remuneration and (c) other contractual terms of (i)

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Strategic Defence Review: Public Appointments

8 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there have been any amendments to the (a) duration, (b) remuneration and (c) other contractual terms of the six additional senior-level experts added to the Strategic Defence Review team since the commenc

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Unmanned Air Systems

8 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to retire the Royal Air Force’s MQ-9A Reaper drones; and whether he plans to donate any of those drones to Ukraine.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

China: Visits Abroad

17 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Chief of Defence Staff discussed the Chagos Islands base during his recent visit to China.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

China: Visits Abroad

17 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department (a) authorised and (b) requested the Chief of Defence staff's recent meeting with representatives of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Boeing E-7: Radar

22 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to replace the Multi-role Electronically Scanned-Array radar on the E-7A Wedgetail fleet with a US-developed replacement.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Ministry of Defence: Written Questions

22 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 41390 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty tabled by the hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford on 26 March 2025.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Ministry of Defence: Firing Ranges

28 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to Ministry of Defence test ranges for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises without a sponsor from his Department

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Civil Aviation Authority: Regulation

28 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to streamline the permissions process for small and medium-sized enterprises for testing new defence capabilities that fall outside Civil Aviation Authority regulations.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Boeing E-7

30 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many test flights the first E-7 Wedgetail aircraft has successfully completed.