UK to construct as much as 12 new assault submarines

[ad_1] Paul Seddon Political reporter

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/31a0/live/bc19f840-3f1f-11f0-8bb9-fbc7d89b40cf.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="PA Media Image shows a mocked-up illustration of what an SSN-AUKUS submarine will look like" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> PA Media An illustration of what an SSN-AUKUS submarine will seem like

The UK will construct "as much as" 12 new assault submarines, the prime minister will announce, as the federal government unveils its main defence evaluation on Monday.

The brand new conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines will change the seven-strong Astute class from the late 2030s onwards.

The evaluation is anticipated to advocate the armed forces transfer to "warfighting readiness" to discourage rising threats confronted by the UK.

The prime minister can also be anticipated to verify the UK will spend £15bn on its nuclear warhead programme.

Sir Keir will say that, alongside the UK's nuclear-armed submarines, the brand new vessels would preserve "Britain and Nato secure for many years".

The menace posed by Moscow has been a key a part of the federal government's pitch forward of Monday's evaluation, led by ex-Labour defence secretary Lord Robertson, which was commissioned by Labour shortly after it took workplace final July.

The report will make 62 suggestions, which the federal government is anticipated to simply accept in full.

Talking to BBC Radio 4's At the moment programme forward of its publication, Sir Keir mentioned the hazard posed by Russia "can't be ignored" and the "finest means" to discourage battle was to organize for it.

The federal government has dedicated to growing UK defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of nationwide revenue by 2027, a transfer welcomed by opposition events amid a rising consensus on boosting army expenditure.

However the run-up to the evaluation's launch has been dominated by a political row over when UK spending ought to hit the following milestone of three%.

The federal government says it has an "ambition" to hit the goal by 2034 on the newest, after the following common election, however the Conservatives say the transfer - which might hike spending by round £20bn a yr - must be met by the top of the last decade.

Sir Keir mentioned he would solely commit the federal government to a timescale when he knew the way it might be paid for, including a date would in any other case be "performative".

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge mentioned Labour's evaluation must be "taken with a pinch of salt" except the federal government confirmed there could be sufficient cash to pay for it.

The Liberal Democrats have mentioned Labour's 2034 timeline is "far too late" and have steered an earlier date must be present in cross-party talks .

The social gathering's defence spokesperson Helen Maguire known as for a "concrete dedication" on funding to again up the submarines announcement, including that Labour had left "critical questions" over how the venture could be financed.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/3ecf/live/548a4b40-3f23-11f0-a6bb-11cdcfa96013.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="PA Media Image shows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a white shirt and glasses, speaking to workers during a visit to Glass Futures in St Helens, Merseyside, on 29 May, 2025" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> PA Media Different bulletins within the evaluation will embody:

Dedication to £1.5bn to construct six new factories to allow an "all the time on" munitions manufacturing capability Constructing as much as 7,000 long-range weapons together with missiles or drones within the UK, for use by British forces Pledge to arrange a "cyber and electromagnetic command" to spice up the army's defensive and offensive capabilities in our on-line world Further £1.5bn to 2029 to fund repairs to army housing £1bn on know-how to hurry up supply of focusing on info to troopers Defence Secretary John Healey has signalled he isn't aiming to extend the general dimension of the Military earlier than the following common election.

On Sunday, he mentioned his "first job" was to reverse a decline in numbers with a goal to return to a power of 73,000 full-time troopers "within the subsequent Parliament".

Submarine plans

The Astute class is the Royal Navy's present fleet of assault submarines, which have nuclear-powered engines and are armed with typical torpedoes and missiles.

In addition to defending maritime activity teams and gathering intelligence, they defend the Vanguard class of submarines that carry the UK's Trident nuclear missiles.

The sixth submarine within the present Astute sequence was launched last October , with the seventh, the ultimate one within the sequence, presently beneath development.

The subsequent technology of assault submarines that may change them, SSN-AUKUS, have been developed with the Australian Navy beneath a deal introduced in 2021 beneath the earlier Conservative authorities.

In the meantime work on modernising the warheads carried by Trident missiles is already beneath means.

The £15bn funding into the warhead programme will again the federal government's commitments to keep up the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent.

In his announcement on Monday, Sir Keir is to repeat a Labour manifesto dedication to ship the Dreadnought class of nuclear-armed submarines, that are because of change the ageing Vanguard fleet from the early 2030s onwards.