The keel of the first of the UK’s new Dreadnought submarines designed for the Royal Navy has been laid at BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard in Cumbria, UK.
This event occurs 18 years after the decision to renew the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The Dreadnought Alliance, a collaboration between BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and the UK Ministry of Defence’s Submarine Delivery Agency, oversees the delivery of the forthcoming nuclear deterrent platform.
HMS Dreadnought, the lead vessel in a fleet of four ballistic missile submarines, will succeed the Vanguard Class.
The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, attended the ceremony.
Prime Minister Starmer said: “It’s an honour to be in Barrow to lay the keel for the next generation of nuclear-armed submarines. These boats will protect our people and Allies from the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life for future generations.
“Investing in the British defence industry, underpinned by companies like BAE Systems, is at the heart of my government’s commitment to national and economic security as part of our Plan for Change. This investment is supporting good, secure jobs and putting money in the pockets of working people.”
The latest move marks a step in the programme to maintain the UK’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD) and protect national security.
The transition from Vanguard to Dreadnought Class, which is expected to commence service in the early 2030s, will continue the CASD without interruption.
At 153.6 metres in length, the Dreadnought submarines are claimed to become the largest ever operated by the Royal Navy and are designed to serve for over 30 years.
These submarines will carry the Silent Service beyond a century of performing the nation’s primary military mission. Since 1969, Royal Navy submariners have continuously undertaken Operation Relentless.
BAE Systems Submarines business Managing Director Steve Timms said: “Laying the keel for the first of class, HMS Dreadnought, is an incredibly proud moment for everyone across the Company, Defence Nuclear Enterprise and Royal Navy. It comes as the boat’s last major unit prepares to make its way into the Devonshire Dock Hall for final integration, demonstrating the progress made across the programme to date.”
The construction of the four submarines—HMS Valiant, Warspite, and King George VI following HMS Dreadnought—is projected to span 20 years.
The submarines are built in 16 units, which are then assembled into three mega units in the Devonshire Dock Hall; the first mega block of Dreadnought was delivered in autumn 2023.
As the current Vanguard-class submarines (with Vanguard at 33 years old and Vengeance at 27) are phased out, Dreadnought is scheduled to begin deterrent patrols in the next decade.
The new submarines will feature three missile compartments, each housing four missile tubes and five deck levels for a total of twelve missiles.
Additionally, they will be equipped with four 533mm torpedo tubes for Spearfish heavyweight medium-range torpedoes.
In 2023, BAE Systems initiated the construction of Warspite, the third Dreadnought-class submarine.
The same year, Babcock also received two contracts totalling £121m for work on the Dreadnought-class programme.
The overall programme is estimated to support approximately 30,000 jobs across the UK throughout the life of the programme.
