Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on upgrading all Royal Navy Aster missiles to Block 1 standard via Sea Viper Evolution Capability 1.

The upgrading of missiles to Aster Block 1 standard is being undertaken through the Aster Mid-Life Refresh programme. The exact number of missiles upgraded to date cannot be disclosed owing to security concerns, however considerable progress has been made over the last 12 months. Additional deliveries of new Aster Block 1 missiles will commence later this year.