A row over shipbuilding in Scotland has erupted after the SNP accused the UK Government of "betraying" the industry despite Clyde yards currently working at capacity.
The Nationalists called on Westminster to ensure future naval orders would still be placed north of the Border following the publication of the Integrated Review, a 100-page document which examines the UK's future defence and foreign policies.
SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes called on the UK Government to " stop its obsession with nuclear " and instead focus on rebuilding the Royal Navy.
But the UK Government hit back by insisting the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had spent more than £2 billion last year with Scottish businesses involved in the defence supply network, supporting 12,400 jobs.
Since 2014 a total of 20 naval ships have either been built at Scottish yards or are currently on order.
The BAE yards at Govan and Scotstoun are currently working on three of the new Type 26 frigates, which each cost £1 billion to construct and take around five years to finish.
Five more Type 26 frigates are due to be built on the Clyde once the first batch is finished, guaranteeing work on the Clyde into the 2040s.
The UK Government has also signed a deal with Babcock to assemble five of the cheaper Type 31 frigate at the firm's yard in Roysth by 2028.
The SNP said Westminster was choosing to invest in more nuclear warheads at a time the Royal Navy was losing both ships and personnel.
Defence committee member Docherty-Hughes said: “With the Royal Navy at a historic low, I am urging the UK Government to stop its obsession with nuclear and use the Integrated Review as an opportunity to finally live up to its basic obligations to North Atlantic security – by building world-class frigates in Scotland and ensuring Scotland’s shipbuilding industry benefits from them.
“Both Tory and Labour UK governments have made promise after promise to Scotland and its shipbuilding industry, but all of these now lie broken or forgotten – including the promises it made in the 2014 Independence Referendum on shipbuilding and building a frigate factory on the Clyde.
“The UK government has repeatedly set out their commitments to conventional forces, the Armed Forces Covenant, to European and North Atlantic security, and to long-term nuclear proliferation – but its actions contradict all of them.
“Instead of wasting money on increasing the stockpile of nuclear weapons the UK government must start matching capabilities to threats and stop neglecting real priorities."
A UK Government spokeswoman said: “The MOD spent over £2billion with Scottish businesses last year supporting 12,400 jobs.
"Scotland is home to the entire Royal Navy submarine service and it is simply not true to say the UK Government has reneged on its commitments to the Scottish shipbuilding industry.
“Both of the new aircraft carriers were assembled in Rosyth, on the Clyde the first batch of eight anti-submarine warfare ships is sustaining 4,000 jobs into the 2030s and Babcock’s Rosyth yard is building five Type 31 Frigates in a £1.25 billion deal.”
