12 new submarines set to be built in UK, the Government has announced

Wales Online

2 days ago

12 new submarines set to be built in UK, the Government has announced
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was due to say today: 'This plan will ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering a defence dividend of well-paid jobs up and down the country'
John Healey appeared on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg yesterday
(Image: PA )
The Prime Minister was set to announce today, June 2, that the UK would build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and channel £15 billion into enhancing its warhead programme, as part of the Government's strategic defence review.
The move will also support 30,000 jobs and is expected to create a further 40,000.
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The review includes 62 recommendations, with the Government expected to fully endorse significant investment in the UK's nuclear warhead programme during this parliament and the maintenance of the current arsenal.
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However, there has been some uncertainty regarding the Government's pledge to defence spending, following the Defence Secretary's inability to confirm whether the Treasury had secured funding to achieve a target of 3% of GDP by 2034.
The construction of the new submarines, a key element of the Aukus alliance with the US and Australia, is expected to support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s. It will also create 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate positions over the coming decade, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: "Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression."
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He added: "With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering on our Plan for Change with 30,000 highly skilled jobs across the country."
The Government's commitment to maintaining the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, constructing a new fleet of Dreadnought submarines and delivering all future upgrades, will be supported by a £15 billion investment into the warhead programme.
From the late 2030s, a fleet of up to 12 SSN-Aukus conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines will take over from the seven astute class attack submarines that the UK is set to begin operating.
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In line with the strategic defence review, the Government will also commit to:
Getting the armed forces to a stage where it would be ready to fight a war
Boosting weapons and equipment stockpiles and making sure there is capacity to scale up production if needed in a crisis or war
Buying up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons in a move due to support 800 defence jobs
Setting up a new cyber command and investing £1 billion in digital capabilities
More than £1.5 billion of additional funding to repair and renew armed forces housing.
Sir Keir Starmer was due to say: "From the supply lines to the front lines, this Government is foursquare behind the men and women upholding our nation's freedom and security.
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"National security is the foundation of my Plan for Change, and this plan will ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering a defence dividend of well-paid jobs up and down the country.
"This strategic defence review will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need that keeps us safe at home while driving greater opportunity for our engineers, shipbuilders and technicians of the future."
Both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have expressed scepticism over Labour's commitment to financing what's proposed.
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After fulfilling its promise to elevate defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April, 2027, the Government has voiced its "ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament".
Mr Healey told The Times there was "no doubt" the UK would hit the 3% mark. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
However, during Sunday's broadcast of BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Healey evaded the question regarding Treasury assurances for the proposed funding.
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He said he did not foresee an increase in armed forces personnel before the subsequent Parliamentary session amid ongoing recruitment and retention issues.
Confronted with queries about when the Army might achieve its 73,000 personnel target, Mr Healey acknowledged: "We've narrowed the gap, but we've still got more people leaving than joining."
His immediate priority is to reverse this trend before looking to expand numbers in the following Parliament.
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Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: "All of Labour's Strategic Defence Review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them.
"Whereas, far from guaranteeing the funding, John Healey has been hung out to dry by Rachel Reeves. As recently as Thursday, Healey promised that defence spending would definitely hit 3%, but today he's completely backtracked.
"These submarines are not due to enter service till the late 2030s, so how can we have any confidence Labour will actually deliver them when they can't even sustain a policy on defence spending for more than 48 hours?".
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Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said: "This signals absolutely the right intent about the need to bolster the UK's defences in the face of Putin's imperialism and Trump's unreliability.
"But this must come with a concrete commitment and detail on full funding. Labour's mere 'ambition' rather than commitment to reach 3% of GDP on defence leaves serious questions about whether the money for these projects will actually be forthcoming.
"The 2034 timeline suggests a worrying lack of urgency from the Government. Unless Labour commits to holding cross-party talks on how to reach 3% much more rapidly than the mid-2030s, this announcement risks becoming a damp squib."
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