UK Pledges to Double Nuclear Submarine Force

As a result of the latest Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the UK Government has committed to doubling the number of nuclear attack submarines in the Royal Navy fleet. Up to 12 submarines are to be built as part of the AUKUS programme in response to rapidly increasing geopolitical tensions. 

It is expected that the increase in submarines will transform the UK’s submarine building industry, supporting up to 30,000 highly-skilled jobs up-and-down the UK well into the 2030s. The programme is also set to create 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles over the next decade.

The decision to build 12 new SSN-AUKUS subs is one of 62 recommendations contained within the latest Strategic Defence Review. Other recommendations within the SDR include: 

• Shifting from a defensive to a war fighting posture, strengthening security in the Euro Atlantic region. 
• Increasing stockpiles of munitions and equipment. 
• The procurement of up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons.
• The creation of a new CyberEM Command to put the UK at the forefront of cyber operations. 
• An investment of more than £1.5 billion to repair and renew armed forces housing. 

In addition to expanding the Royal Navy’s nuclear attack submarine force, the SDR also sets out a commitment to securing the future of the Royal Navy’s Continuous At Sea Nuclear Deterrent, backed by a £15 billion investment into the sovereign warhead programme.

This investment will lead to significant modernisation of infrastructure at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston.

Commenting on the forthcoming new nuclear submarines, the defence secretary, John Healey MP, said: 

“Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing, and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression. With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and abroad, while delivering on our Plan for Change with 30,000 highly-skilled jobs across the country”.

The new SSN-AUKUS submarine construction programme will see a major expansion of industrial capacity at Barrow and Raynesway, Derby, with the build of a new submarine every 18 months in the future. 

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