A RECRUITMENT drive is currently under way at BAE Systems.

The company is looking to hire around 1,200 employees.

The majority of these positions are in Barrow, supporting the Astute, Dreadnought and SSNR programmes as well as the Royal Navy's in-service submarines. 

"We have a large number of exciting career opportunities available across a wide range of roles, from steel-working and pipe-fitting to computer-aided design and project management," said a BAE spokesman.

"Already this year, we have welcomed more than 600 people into the business on our early careers programme."

In May, it was announced defence contracts worth more than £2 billion had been awarded to BAE and Rolls-Royce for the purpose of beginning the third major phase of the future submarine nuclear deterrent programme, Dreadnought.

Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin said at the time: “The Dreadnought class will be crucial to maintaining and safeguarding our national security, with the nuclear deterrent protecting every UK citizen from the most extreme threats, every minute of every day.

“Designed in the UK, built in the UK and supporting tens of thousands of jobs in the UK, the Dreadnought programme is a leading example of our commitment to defence manufacturing and will continue to boost British industry for decades to come.”

Steve Timms, managing director of BAE Systems Submarines, said: “We take great pride in designing and delivering one of the world’s most advanced engineering programmes and helping to protect national security.

“Today’s funding announcement allows us to maintain the Dreadnought programme’s progress and continue investing in the infrastructure and skills needed to deliver these highly complex submarines to the Royal Navy.”

READ MORE: BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce awarded £2b investment - supporting 30k jobs

Each submarine is to boast 26.4 miles of pipework and more than 20,000 cables, stretching 215 miles.

In August, the latest Astute submarine to be built by BAE Systems was officially commissioned into the Royal Navy during a ceremony in Barrow.

At 97 metres long and with a displacement of 7,800 tonnes, the nuclear-powered submarine was the fifth of seven in the class.