To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unmanned aerial vehicles have been lost or destroyed in Afghanistan in the last 12 months. (187197)

A total of 27 Desert Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles operated by UK forces in Afghanistan have been lost in the past 12 months. This number reflects the high operational tasking of this system. We continue to refine our operational procedures to minimise the loss rate, but it is inevitable that some losses will occur.