Land Journey Complete For Bow Section Of Nuclear Sub

Further evidence of the progress being made on construction of the Royal Navy's next-generation nuclear deterrent has been offered by BAE Systems — and it made for an unusual sight.

The firm published via social media an image of the bow section of HMS Dreadnought being hauled by road on a low loader to BAE Systems’ submarine hall in Barrow, Cumbria. The vessels are constructed in sections; the front of the submarine is believed to be the last section of HMS Dreadnought to be put in place.

BAE’s statement noted: “Traffic had to be stopped in Barrow, Cumbria, for an event that is unique to the shipbuilding town.

“The colossal forward end unit of the new Dreadnought submarine was transported along a public road to the famous Devonshire Dock Hall build facility where it will be integrated with the other submarine sections.”

HMS Dreadnought will be the first of four ballistic missile submarines which will carry Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent, replacing the in-service Vanguard-class submarines.

The official line from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) remains that she will be ready to enter service “in the early 2030s” although recent media reports have suggested more specifically that she may be ready by the end of 2032.

Last month the ceremonial keel-laying ceremony for HMS Dreadnought was attended by U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey, as well as a host of other navy, government and civilian dignitaries.

The 150-metre-plus Dreadnought-class submarines will be the largest ever built for the Royal Navy, displacing more than 17,000 tonnes. Each boat will have more than 26 miles of pipework and in excess of 200 miles of cabling, supplying well in excess of 12,000 separate electrical systems.

The four submarines are being built by BAE systems and subcontractors at a combined cost of at least £31 billion. They will be propelled by nuclear reactors supplied by Rolls-Royce, and will carry the Trident II ballistic missiles which form the U.K.’s Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD); each projectile has up to eight nuclear warheads.

Like their Vanguard-class predecessors, the Dreadnought-class submarines’ range and sailing duration will be limited only by food supplies and mechanical integrity. They will also carry the Spearfish heavyweight torpedo, which has a range of up to 35 nautical miles.

The boats have been designed from first principles to each have a service life of up to 40 years. As well as HMS Dreadnought, work has already begun on Valiant and Warspite; the fourth boat, King George VI, will follow later.

• You can read more details about the Dreadnought programme on the BAE Systems website