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, what steps he is taking to reach a decision on (a) the method of procurement and (b) the replacement timeline for HMS Protector.

The previous Government's plan was for HMS Protector to remain in service into the late 2030s and did not provide for a replacement vessel. We judged this approach to be unsustainable and therefore allocated funding within the Defence Investment Plan to deliver a successor capability.

The Defence Investment Plan includes provision for the replacement of HMS Protector with a more modern vessel. Through Project Shackleton, the Ministry of Defence is undertaking the necessary technical, commercial and delivery analysis to inform decisions on the preferred procurement approach and replacement timeline. Decisions will be taken once this work has concluded.