Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is expected to reaffirm the government's commitment to building two giant aircraft carriers and a host of new planes.

The �10bn order will include two "supercarriers" which will be more than twice the size of anything the Navy has ever put to sea.

They would replace the three existing carriers - Illustrious, Invincible and Ark Royal - by 2012.

Each of the new carriers would be able to carry 50 planes on board.

During the election campaign, a number of sceptical Tory MPs and some former military officials suggested the entire project, first proposed in 1998, would be cut.

But Mr Hoon, addressing MPs in the Commons on Friday, is expected to reaffirm the government's commitment to a number of key defence programmes, including a plan to build 30 warships in the next 15 to 20 years.

Centrepiece

The centrepiece of this ambitious scheme will be the two vast aircraft carriers

The planes on board the ships will be the revolutionary American-designed Joint Strike Fighter, a replacement for the ageing Sea Harrier.