The UK's new warships will be built on the Clyde, it has been confirmed, after fears were raised over the possibility of the contract going abroad.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said there should be "no confusion" over where the new generation of Type 26 frigates will be constructed.
Mr Fallon was speaking on his first visit to Scotland after the head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas, suggested the £4bn contract could go abroad.
The issue of defence contracts was high on the agenda in the run-up to September's independence referendum.
Pro-Union politicians claimed Scotland's shipbuilding industry would be automatically precluded from future deals if it voted for independence.
The Scottish National Party said the First Sea Lord's comments showed voters had been betrayed.
Mr Fallon denied this on a visit to see how the building of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife was progressing.
He said: "British warships are built in British yards. This aircraft carrier has been built across six British yards in England and in Scotland.
"So far as the T-26 ships are concerned, it has always been envisaged that they will be built on the Clyde and I can confirm that today.
"It's a very complex new warship that's under design at the moment. We're obviously working towards announcing some of the long-lead items I hope early next year.
"We're not quite ready yet to announce it, but they are going to be built on the Clyde."
The visit came a day after a large protest against the Trident nuclear deterrent at Faslane naval base.
Mr Fallon denied it was time for a change of policy on the nuclear weapons system.
He said: "The nuclear deterrent keeps all of us safe in England, in Scotland, in Wales and Northern Ireland.
"We have the main decision to take in 2016 to renew Trident so that is a decision for the next Parliament, but successive governments have always reaffirmed their commitment to the nuclear deterrent and I'm in no doubt the next Parliament and the next government will do that too."
Mr Fallon said both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are on schedule.
He added: "This has been a huge investment in jobs in Scotland, not just at Rosyth but on the Clyde, where some of the bigger blocks were built, and that investment will continue."
It was revealed last month that two of the Royal Navy's Trafalgar-class submarines will be moved from Plymouth to the Clyde naval base.
HMS Talent and HMS Triumph will be at the Faslane base by 2020 - another step towards Clyde becoming the Royal Navy's Submarine Centre of Specialisation.
The move means the Scottish base will be home to all of the UK's submarines.
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