Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2026 to question 27620 on HMS Protector, which options he is considering as a more modern variant to replace HMS Protector.

The Defence Investment Plan includes provision to replace HMS Protector with a more modern vessel variant, maintaining the United Kingdom’s essential presence and supporting Government activities in the Arctic and around the British Antarctic Territory. Work is ongoing to assess the requirement and potential options for delivering the future ice patrol capability, under Project Shackleton. Further detail will be released in due course.