Construction of the UK's four new nuclear submarines is to begin, after the government announced £1.3bn of new investment with defence firm BAE Systems. The "Successor" is the proposed new generation of submarines to carry the UK's nuclear deterrent. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the deal would secure thousands of highly-skilled jobs across the UK. "This shows the government will never gamble with our national security."
The four new Successor submarines, which will carry Trident missiles, are to be built at BAE Systems' shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. The project will move into a new phase from next week, with manufacturing beginning on structural steel work for the first vessel.
The defence firm says they will enter service from the 2030s onwards and have a lifespan of at least 30 years. The Ministry of Defence says several hundred suppliers are expected to be involved in the new programme at its peak, securing jobs from Scotland to the south of England.
Britain has four Vanguard class submarines that have been in operation since 1992, and had an intended service life of 25 years. One is always deployed at sea, while another undergoes maintenance and two are in port or on training manoeuvres.