UK Approves Nuclear Submarine Funding

The UK Defence Secretary will today announced an additional £350M in funding for the next stage of design work for Successor, the future generation of UK nuclear-armed submarines. HMS Vigilant is one of four Vanguard Class submarines which maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent and this firing, the first in three years, confirms the credibility of the deterrent. The Vanguard submarines will be replaced from 2028 by the Successor which is currently being designed by British companies. As a result of today’s announcement, BAE Systems will proceed with an additional £315M worth of work, with a further £38M at Babcock. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, said, “Our continuous submarine-based nuclear deterrent is the ultimate safeguard of our national security and the Government is committed to maintaining it, both now and in the future. The test firing and further investment in replacing the deterrent demonstrates that commitment. This latest expenditure for the next generation of nuclear-armed submarines is an investment in UK security and the British economy, sustaining high-quality jobs and vital skills”. All Royal Navy submarines will be based at Faslane by 2017, including the Astute and Trafalgar class attack submarines, which - along with the Sandown Class Mine Counter Measure vessels - will increase the workforce at the site to over 8,000 by 2022. In May 2011 the MOD announced approval for the Successor programme design phase, costing £3BN. The funding announced today is part of that investment.