To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessments have been made of the vulnerability of future frigates to missile strikes; what studies have been undertaken of the relative resilience against such strikes of (a) trimaran and (b) conventional frigate hull designs for the Future Surface Combatant (FSC); and if he will make a statement on progress in the design of the proposed variants of the FSC. (227065)

The Future Surface Combatant (FSC) programme is still in the early stages of concept and the design is not expected to be confirmed until early in the next decade. Some work has been undertaken to assess the merits of using different types of hull form, including trimaran and conventional designs. Studies to assess the vulnerability and resilience to missile strikes of FSC are, however, planned.