To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has taken recent steps to increase the defensive capabilities of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

The Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) carriers have a range of active and passive defensive systems. In addition, QEC generally operates as part of a wider task group (including other ships and rotary and fixed wing aircraft) providing a level of layered defence suitable for a range of threats.

Specific threat planning is also considered for every deployment or contingency, and measures are taken to reduce or mitigate the anticipated threat in accordance with operational priorities.

The threat - and the defensive systems the QEC carries - are kept under constant review.