The Department has not demonstrated the necessary urgency to deliver enhanced capabilities to deter hostile parties. The Ukraine conflict has demonstrated the renewed importance of land capabilities. However, the Department acknowledges there is significant risk that the UK could not provide NATO with an operational Army division and that the current Equipment Plan does not resolve this. Lessons from Ukraine show that the Army needs to increase its long-range precision artillery, air defences and medical supply chain beyond the capabilities included in the current Plan. Furthermore, the Department is struggling to deliver existing projects to modernise current land capabilities. Notably, timetables for introducing Boxer and Ajax armoured vehicles have slipped significantly, leaving the Army reliant on out- dated vehicles and unable to provide the necessary deterrence of adversaries. Even when Ajax is finally introduced it will not operate to its full potential without the Morpheus communications system, which is also delayed. We are unconvinced by the Department’s assertion that it is doing all it can to speed up these programmes or its claim that it could only be quicker by taking more risks. Recommendation 3: The Department should reconsider whether it strikes the right balance between risk and delivery speed in procurement and write to us alongside its Treasury Minute response setting out its scope to deliver programmes faster. It should also set out in next year’s Equipment Plan how it will ensure that the Army fully benefits from the investment in new equipment by the timely delivery of military hardware and the technology needed to enable interoperability.