£2bn cash boost for Royal Navy submarines

THE Royal Navy has welcomed more than £2bn in funding going to BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce to bring forward the next generation of nuclear deterrent submarines.

The government investment marks the third major phase of the Dreadnought future submarine nuclear deterrent programme.

The programme is supporting more than 30,000 jobs across the UK, from design through to build, with 13,500 jobs in the northwest of England and a further 16,300 over the rest of the UK.

As the largest class of submarine ever built for the Royal Navy, the fleet of four vessels will boast 26.4 miles of pipework and more than 20,000 cables stretching 215 miles – further than traveling between London and Leeds.

First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said: ‘We welcome the faith shown in the Royal Navy and our people that submarines remain the optimum means of securely deploying the independent nuclear deterrent.

‘This investment will enable the transition from the Vanguard to Dreadnought class submarines – an enormous challenge, and one we in the Royal Navy willingly accept.’

The end of the third phase of the programme will see the first of the submarines, HMS Dreadnought, exit the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard to begin sea trials,

The investment is the latest financial commitment between the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, and is the initial investment within a planned overall total of nearly £10bn for the whole delivery phase.