STORY
The UK Government today confirmed plans to significantly expand its nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarine fleet, ordering up to 12 next-generation SSN-AUKUS boats. The announcement, made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey, follows recommendations in the newly published Strategic Defence Review calling for a shift toward “warfighting readiness” to deter mounting global threats.
Under the AUKUS partnership with the United States and Australia, the Royal Navy’s submarine force—currently seven Astute-class vessels—will be reinforced by these new SSN-AUKUS boats, which will begin construction in Barrow-in-Furness in the late 2020s and enter service in the late 2030s. The UK will also invest an additional £15 billion in its sovereign nuclear warhead programme to ensure the effectiveness of its strategic deterrent submarines for the coming decades.
The Strategic Defence Review, led by former NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson, comprises 62 proposals to modernise Britain’s Armed Forces. Key points include:
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Warfighting Posture: A permanent shift from “expeditionary” to “warfighting” readiness, emphasising rapid response against high-intensity threats, particularly from Russia and China.
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Submarine Expansion: Doubling the planned submarine fleet to twelve SSN-AUKUS vessels, enhancing undersea surveillance, special-forces deployment, and strike-capable platforms equipped to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles.
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Nuclear Warhead Upgrade: A £15 billion commitment to develop a new warhead design, securing the UK’s at-sea deterrent well into the 2050s.
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Munitions & Industry: Funds allocated for six new munitions factories producing up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons, safeguarding around 800 defence industry jobs and ensuring stockpile resilience.
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Cyber & Electronic Warfare: Creation of a unified Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to coordinate offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, alongside advanced electronic-warfare systems.
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Modern Technologies: Accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence, autonomy, hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, with new R&D facilities and partnerships with domestic tech firms.
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Defence Spending: A pledge to raise defence outlays from 2.2 percent of GDP today to 2.5 percent by 2027, with an ambition to reach 3 percent in the next parliamentary cycle.
Defence Secretary John Healey stressed that the larger submarine fleet, combined with the warhead upgrade, will “ensure the UK remains one of the most potent undersea powers in the world” and will “send a clear signal to any adversary that British deterrence is unwavering.” He added that the influx of new contracts into Barrow-in-Furness and other shipyards will “provide a decade of secure, high-skilled jobs” while bolstering the nation’s sovereign shipbuilding capacity.
Prime Minister Starmer underlined that this investment forms part of his “Plan for Change” agenda, aimed not only at protecting the UK but also at driving economic growth. “By committing to twelve SSN-AUKUS submarines,” he said, “we’re not only deterring those who would threaten our security, but also creating thousands of good jobs and revitalising Britain’s defence industrial base.”
Additional measures within the Review call for reversing previous troop cuts, improving military housing, and bolstering recruitment to address shortfalls in the Army and Royal Air Force. While some funding details remain subject to future budgetary approval, the Government has accepted all recommendations in full, signaling a decisive pivot toward higher readiness and strategic resilience. Construction on the first SSN-AUKUS boat is expected to begin in 2028, with the full twelve-submarine fleet scheduled for delivery by the early 2040s. In the interim, the UK will continue to operate its seven Astute-class attack submarines and maintain its Vanguard-class ballistic-missile submarines as its strategic nuclear deterrent.