PM's Visit Throws Spotlight On British Nuclear Submarines

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has visited a returning Royal Navy nuclear submarine and will today lay the keel of the boat that will one day replace her.

As per a U.K. Government press statement, today (Thursday) the Prime Minister will visit Barrow-in-Furness to lay the keel of the Dreadnought submarine, the first boat that will provide the U.K.’s next-generation nuclear deterrent; she is being built in the town by BAE Systems.

It has been announced that His Majesty The King is set to confer the ‘Royal’ title to the port “in recognition of the town’s unique and critical contribution to national security.”

The first SSN-AUKUS attack submarines are also being built at the BAE Systems site as part of the tripartite AUKUIS agreement between Australia, the United States and the U.K. It has been reported that the Barrow submarine workforce alone has grown by more than 1,000 people in the past six months.

Today’s keel-laying ceremony follows hot on the heels of the PM’s visit yesterday (Wednesday) with Defence Secretary John Healey to a returning Vanguard-class submarine, widely reported to be HMS Vanguard, at the end of her marathon 204-day patrol.

The PM boarded the boat upon its “Day Zero” return towards HM Naval Base Clyde “to thank submariners for their months of silent service.” His gesture was the first such visit by a PM to a returning submarine since David Cameron’s 12 years previously. While on board the PM was briefed about the submarine’s recent patrol and given a tour of the vessel.

He commented: “This week, I saw firsthand the sacrifice our submariners are making every day to keep our country safe, but I know they are only able to do that because of the support of the town of Barrow.

“Each and every person living and working in Barrow is contributing to our nation’s defence, whether that is building our world-class submarine programme, or supporting the workforce here through vital public services or proud family businesses.”

The Dreadnought programme is expected to support more than 30,000 U.K. jobs. Last month, the PM announced defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP from 2027; the aim is for it to reach 3% in the next parliament.

The Government says that equates to an extra £13.4 billion being spent on defence.

Mr Healey commented: “Today’s keel-laying is a demonstration of our government delivering for defence and fulfilling our first duty: to keep the British people safe.

“Our triple lock pledge for Britain’s nuclear deterrent will see all four Dreadnought-class submarines built in Royal Barrow – a generational commitment that is transforming this town. This is one of the most complex projects ever undertaken in this country, representing the very best of British engineering.

“Our commitment to the nuclear deterrent is unshakeable – it is the ultimate guarantor of our national security and the security of our NATO allies.”

Britain has four Vanguard-class submarines in active service: HMS Vanguard, HMS Victorious, HMS Vigilant and HMS Vengeance. They are powered by a pressurised water reactor, giving them a maximum speed in excess of 25 knots underwater, and meaning their range and sailing duration is limited only by food supplies and mechanical integrity.

They are equipped with 16 ballistic missile tubes, eight of which are loaded with the Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles; each missile has up to eight nuclear warheads. The submarines also carry the Spearfish heavyweight torpedo, which has a range of up to 35 nautical miles.

It’s thought that each of the last eight Vanguard-class submarine patrols have all exceeded five months in duration. The boats had an originally intended service life of 25 years, meaning the newest, HMS Vengeance, would have been due to be taken out of service last year.

The boats are due to be replaced by the forthcoming Dreadnought-class submarines being built by BAE Systems; the first of these vessels, the future HMS Dreadnought, is expected to be commissioned in the 2030s.

• You can read more details about the PM’s visit and the keel-laying ceremony on the U.K. Government website