UK Invests £8.4 Billion in Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine Programme

Britain announced on Wednesday an investment of £8.4 billion ($11.2 billion) in its Dreadnought nuclear submarine programme, which the government says will provide thousands of employment opportunities for young people over the next decade.

The office of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement that he would announce “a major £8.4 billion investment in Britain’s nuclear deterrent, providing jobs and opportunities for young people for years to come.”

British defence company BAE Systems is responsible for constructing four Dreadnought-class nuclear submarines as part of the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent programme.

The company will receive £5.9 billion, while the remaining funding will be allocated to the project’s supply chain.

Under the investment, the first of the four submarines, HMS Dreadnought, will complete its sea trials in preparation for entering Royal Navy service in the early 2030s.

The funding will also allow the programme’s second submarine, HMS Valiant, to reach the sea-trial stage, while the third and fourth submarines remain under construction.

According to Burnham, the programme will support 47,000 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities. Tackling unemployment has been made a priority by the prime minister’s new government.

During a visit to BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow, north-west England, on Thursday, Burnham is expected to say: “These submarines will protect Britain for decades to come, while 47,000 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities will transform people’s lives in this town and dozens of similar communities.”

The British government had previously allocated more than £63 billion over the next four years to fund its nuclear deterrent under its defence investment plan.

The funding includes the Dreadnought submarines and new attack submarines being developed under the AUKUS military alliance between Britain, Australia and the United States.

Burnham faces a significant challenge in increasing military expenditure amid pressure from the United States and NATO allies, alongside the need to address a £4.7 billion funding gap in the four-year defence