A U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missile is fired from Australia in 2021. (Australian Defence Force)
By Craig Langford,
Published by UK Defence Journal, 17 January 2026
The Ministry of Defence has said it is continually reviewing command arrangements for the UK’s ground-based air defence as part of wider efforts to protect critical national infrastructure, while declining to provide detail on how planned Integrated Air and Missile Defence spending will be divided between interceptors and supporting systems.
In a series of written answers to questions from Luke Akehurst MP, the government confirmed that responsibility for protecting critical national infrastructure remains a priority and that command arrangements are assessed on an ongoing basis.
Responding to a question on whether existing command structures for ground-based air defence had been reviewed, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the MOD “continually reviews its operational capabilities, including command arrangements for ground-based air defence, to ensure they remain effective and fit for purpose”.
He added that protection of critical national infrastructure involved close coordination with other government departments and agencies, with any changes informed by regular assessments, operational requirements and emerging threats.
The questions also probed how the government intends to allocate funding within its Integrated Air and Missile Defence programme. Pollard reiterated that the government has committed £1 billion to air and missile defence in line with the Strategic Defence Review, but said decisions on how that funding will be split between effectors, sensors and command-and-control systems will be set out later.
“The allocation of investment and timelines for Integrated Air and Missile Defence spending will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan,” he said.
The minister declined to comment on stockpile levels of guided weapons, citing national security considerations, but said they remain under continuous review to maintain operational readiness.
A further question asked whether the MOD had assessed the adequacy of the UK’s ground-based air defence capability in a scenario where the UK had to operate without direct United States support. Pollard responded by again pointing to ongoing modernisation efforts, including systems such as Sky Sabre, and stressed the importance of interoperability with NATO allies. He said UK air and missile defence capabilities are designed to provide sovereign national defence while contributing to NATO’s collective posture, adding that they are integrated with allied systems “to defend our homeland and contribute to the strength of the NATO Alliance”.
See: Original Article
