Question follow-through · 19082
Skynet
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the life expectancy of SKYNET 6A.
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
- 15 Jul 2026
- Target answer date
- 1 Sept 2026
- Answer
- 2 Sept 2026 · 49 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Defence and foreign affairs
- Ammunition and Weapons: Finance · 16 Jul 2026
- Weapons: Manufacturing Industries · 16 Jul 2026
- CASOM: Decommissioning · 16 Jul 2026
- Guided Weapons: Reviews · 16 Jul 2026
- Armed Forces: Medical Records · 16 Jul 2026
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Opposition Day Motion: Defence spending and readiness - Prime Minister's Amendment · 23 Jun 2026
- Opposition day: Defence spending and readiness · 23 Jun 2026
- Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: Amendment 11 · 22 Jun 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
15 Jul 2026
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the life expectancy of SKYNET 6A.
1 Sept 2026
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
2 Sept 2026
Answer published
The operational design life of the SKYNET 6A satellite is 15 years.
Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Ammunition and Weapons: Finance
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the planned £20 billion of investment in new weapons and munitions between 2030 and 2035 is in the current MOD budget.
Weapons: Manufacturing Industries
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 54 of his Department's Defence Investment Plan, published 30 June 2026, which manufacturers are offering weapons that combine qualities of expensive complex weapons and emerging cheaper alt
CASOM: Decommissioning
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the retirement date of Storm Shadow missiles.
Guided Weapons: Reviews
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the review of the STRATUS long range strike programme will be made available to Parliament.
Armed Forces: Medical Records
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the completion of medical records integration will be completed by Phoenix Partnership.
Armed Forces: Blood
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timeline is for the Forward Blood Products plan to develop and procure dried blood products.
National Security
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to establish a whole of society response to the new era of threats.
Defence Medical Services
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned capabilities are of the Defence Medical Services in terms of a) capacity and b) specialised medical care.
Defence and National Security
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his plans are for the national conversation campaign on defence and security.
Defence: Diplomatic Relations
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated yearly budget is for the Defence Diplomacy network.
Defence: Finance
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 62 of his Department's Defence Investment Plan, published 30 June 2026, whether the plan to invest £130bn on Defence people between 2030 and 2035 is in his Department's budget.
Defence: Procurement
16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 24 on page 63 of his Department's Defence Investment Plan, published 30 June 2026 on changes to procurement rules, what progress he has made on increasing the speed of defence procurem