I refer the noble lady to the answer given to Question 118566 in the House of Commons on 16 March 2026.

The size and composition of the Royal Navy are kept under continuous review to ensure the force can meet Defence tasks and operational commitments.

All Royal Navy ships rotate through planned operating cycles involving routine maintenance, repair, training, deployment, leave, essential modification and upgrades and will, therefore, be at varying levels of readiness in accordance with Defence requirements.

It is longstanding policy not to comment on the readiness state of individual ships in detail, as to do so would prejudice the capability, operational effectiveness and security of the Armed Forces

To avoid compromising operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not routinely disclose elements of the Fleet's long-term schedule and readiness profiles.

The Royal Navy continues to meet its operational objectives and to work closely with the Government to ensure our maritime environment remains safe amid a changing threat environment.

Currently the Royal Navy has 52 Surface Ships in service, at varying states of Operational availability and readiness. The RFA has 9. It is important to see availability as a constant cycle as ships move through maintenance, training, and deployment and recovery phases, with around 50% of the fleet at high readiness or above at any one time.

My Lords, any future requests from the US for Royal Navy and Royal Air Force support for operations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. This includes appropriate consideration of the legal basis for any proposed activity. The MoD will continue to step up action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy and global stability, but we cannot comment on hypothetical future operations.

Following the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the Royal Navy is progressing plans to enhance its amphibious capabilities through investment in new amphibious shipping including the Multi Role Strike Ship, Littoral Response Groups and the ongoing modernisation of the Commando Force. Final decisions on capability will be informed by the Defence Investment Plan in autumn 2025.

For the Royal Air Force, Protector and Storm Shroud are entering operational service this year.

For the Royal Navy, the Concept of Hybrid Carrier Air Wings continues to develop to greatly enhance the striking power of our carriers. Molloy T150 uncrewed rotary wing logistics support air systems have deployed as part of OP HIGHMAST. The Peregrine rotary wing system has also entered operational service in the Gulf. Development continues on uncrewed surface vessels and uncrewed underwater vehicles.

Further systems are under development or undergoing trials in a range of roles across both services. This will continue to be accelerated, with further workstreams through the Defence Investment Plan.

The Royal Navy daily working uniform for Service Women (Rig 22) is currently in the procurement phase. To alleviate any issues during this time, Service personnel have been recommended to utilise the Special Fit clause in current regulations to allow Crown Expense tailoring where current sizes don’t quite fit adequately.

The Rig 22 thermal layer includes a female fit, with both jackets having been very well received during trials. A full maternity variant of Rig 22 is in the procurement phase, while a maternity outwear layer is already available.

The Royal Navy is also seeking to improve the current in-service base-layer for both warm weather, temperate and cold weather climates. This project will include such considerations as Public Sector Equality Duty, ensuring a better fit for all, as well as improving comfort/interoperability with the Rig 22 layering system.