Gavin Williamson has said £1.5bn will be used to a build a seventh Astute hunter-killer submarine and £960m will go into building the UK’s four nuclear-armed ‘Dreadnought’ submarines.
Williamson said: “This multi-billion-pound investment in our nuclear submarines shows our unwavering commitment to keeping the UK safe and secure from intensifying threats.”
Speaking in Barrow-in-Furness at BAE Systems’ shipyard, the defence secretary hailed this funding boost as an opportunity, which will create more jobs.
“Today’s news supports 8,000 BAE Systems’ submarine jobs, as well as thousands more in the supply chain, protecting prosperity and providing opportunity right across the country,” he will say.
An additional £100m will be put towards a submarine construction building in the Cumbria factory.
Hunter-killer submarines are specifically designed to attack and sink other watercraft. Dreadnought submarines replaced the Vanguard class of ballistic missle submarines and carry Trident II D-5 missiles.
