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The United Kingdom has announced it plans it invest £8.4 billion (€9.8 billion) for the next phase of its Dreadnought Class nuclear submarine programme.
“A major £8.4bn investment in the UK’s nuclear deterrent, delivering jobs and opportunity for young people for years to come,” Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s office said in a press release.
UK defence contractor BAE Systems is set to receive £5.9 billion (€6.9 billion) with the remaining going to the wider supply chain.
BAE Systems has been tasked with delivering four Dreadnought Class nuclear-powered submarines as part of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
The investment was set to help the first of four submarines, the HMS Dreadnought, complete its sea trials and “be ready to enter service with the Royal Navy in the early 2030s”, Downing Street said.
Burnham’s government said the programme would support 47,000 jobs and apprenticeships over the next decade.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the investment “secures our commitment to deliver Dreadnought Class submarines by backing British industry”.
The UK government has earmarked more than £63 billion over the next four years to fund its nuclear deterrent as part of its Defence Investment Plan.
That includes the Dreadnought submarines and new attack submarines part of its AUKUS military alliance with Australia and the United States.
