The Ministry of Defence is looking for up to 61 'Intercept & Escort Craft' to respond to incidents and board other vessels.

The aim ultimately is to replace crewed Sandown and Hunt-class ships with autonomous systems.

British aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will deploy together next year.

The Defence Secretary described the deployment as a "majestic demonstration of British power and commitment at sea, in the skies and over the land".

The most significant peacetime deployment of the Royal Navy in a quarter of a century, led by aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, has now ended.

HMS Queen Elizabeth will return to Portsmouth on Thursday afternoon after completing a massive global deployment leading her Carrier Strike Group to the Pacific and back.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has highlighted that the UK is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a nuclear power, a trading power and the world’s fifth-largest economy.

A credible source, wishing to remain unnamed has confirmed that an arrest has been made in connection with the leaked footage of an F-35 crashing on take off from HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The vessel, a new ship of around 500 tonnes, will be procured through a £9m contract and will support trials for "autonomy development".

In the firm's half-year financial results, Babcock report that revenue is up 8% with the bulk of that being due to the Type 31 Frigate programme at Rosyth, Scotland.