The UK has announced that it will invest £2.5bn (~€2.8bn) in building nuclear submarines, as part of the country’s broader defence priorities.
UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced today that the money will largely be split between two projects related to building nuclear submarines, which are expected to sustain around 8,000 jobs in contractor BAE Systems’ submarine subsidiary, as well as thousands more across the UK submarine supply chain.
At the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, UK, Williamson announced that the Ministry of Defence has signed £900m worth of contracts with the company which would accelerate the next phase of construction of the UK’s four nuclear-armed Dreadnought submarines.
Additional contracts worth £60m have been signed with Rolls-Royce, which will make reactors to power the Dreadnought submarines. This is also expected to support some 700 jobs at the company’s factory site in Derby.
How will the investment catalyse submarine development?
The Dreadnought submarine programme will move into its second phase, which will continue the design and build of the first Dreadnought submarine and begin work on the second, at a purpose-built, state-of-the-art £100m construction building at the Barrow-in-Furness site.
In addition, the UK will provide £1.5bn for the development of a new Astute hunter-killer submarine for operation by the Royal Navy. Once it enters into operation, the vessel will be called Agincourt and will be the seventh such vessel in the navy’s fleet.
What did Williamson say?
At the launch of the new facility, Williamson said that building nuclear submarines was a vital element of the UK government’s commitment to keeping the country safe, and welcomed the economic impact they would have on supporting jobs.
He stated: “This multi-billion-pound investment in our nuclear submarines shows our unwavering commitment to keeping the UK safe and secure from intensifying threats. Agincourt will complete the Royal Navy’s seven-strong fleet of hunter-killer attack subs, the most powerful to ever enter British service, whilst our nuclear deterrent is the ultimate defence against the most extreme dangers we could possibly face.”
