Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has he made in assessing the potential compatibility of the Aster missile with the Mk 41 vertical launch system.

The Royal Navy has announced its intention to become a Mk41 Navy, to ensure that future combatants have a versatile missile launcher capable of deploying both offensive and defensive missiles. The Navy is currently assessing a range of effector options, including missiles, guns, lasers and drones as it develops the Hybrid Navy concept.