§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his letter of 21 February, on the formation readiness cycle, whether the formation readiness cycle has met the delivery aims set out in the Strategic Defence Review. [156794]
§ Mr. HoonThe formation readiness cycle (FRC) provides a framework for the existing six non-specialist brigades in which readiness and commitments can be programmed, and resources can be matched to levels of collective training.
The FRC is a predictable, symmetric force generation mechanism, designed to generate fully trained and appropriately equipped forces that are ready to deploy and remain sustainable throughout operations.
Overall, the FRC has served us well, and has enabled us to meet a variety of commitments, as laid out in the Strategic Defence Review. As we explained in the recent White Paper we are examining possible changes to the current and future capabilities of the armed forces, and supporting infrastructure, required to deliver a network enabled capability. Part of this work will be to consider the effect these changes will have on the FRC.