Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Veterans and People during the debate on Defence of 24 March 2026, Official Report, column 267, what is the total cost of ordering the 20 uncrewed surface vessels.

As part of Project Beehive, the Royal Navy has ordered 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a contract worth £12.3 million. The fleet of 20 vessels will be used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations, training and development activities to help set the foundation for further uses of autonomous and uncrewed technology.