Keel Laid for U.K. Royal Navy’s First Dreadnought-class Ballistic Missile Submarine

The keel for HMS Dreadnought has been officially laid at BAE Systems' submarine construction facility in Barrow-in-Furness, marking a key step in the U.K.’s nuclear deterrent renewal effort, 18 years after the program was approved.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presided over the ceremony on March 20 at the shipyard where the lead boat of the Royal Navy’s Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarines is being assembled. Once completed, HMS Dreadnought will be the U.K.’s largest-ever submarine, replacing the aging Vanguard-class boats as part of Operation Relentless, the country’s continuous at-sea deterrent mission.

The Dreadnought-class submarines each displace 17,000 tonnes and measure 153.6 meters in length. They will be powered by Rolls-Royce PWR3 nuclear reactors and feature Lockheed Martin navigation subsystems, Thales Sonar 2076, and 12 ballistic missile tubes for Trident II D5 missiles.

Construction of HMS Dreadnought began in 2016, with major components—including its pressure hull and missile tubes—completed in 2022. The first of its mega-units was delivered in 2023, and the submarine is expected to enter deterrent patrols in the early 2030s.

The three other boats in the class—HMS Valiant, Warspite, and King George VI—are being built in parallel.