THE Government has confirmed that the next generation of Royal Navy attack submarines being built in Barrow will be operation by the late 2030s.
In an update to Parliament, Defence Minister Luke Pollard reaffirms the Government's commitment to building submarines ahead of a major defence review..
Responding to a question from Conservative MP Mark Francois regarding the expected Initial Operating Capability date, Pollard stated: “The Royal Navy’s submersible ship nuclear AUKUS submarines will be operational from the late 2030s, replacing the current Astute Class.”
The AUKUS defence agreement between the UK, US and Australia will see the three countries collaborating on the building of new subs.
SSN-AUKUS will be the next generation successor to the current Astute-class, with the final boat in that class being constructed in Barrow.
The boat will be based on the UK’s next-generation submarine design, which will incorporate technologies from all three nations, including cutting edge US submarine technologies.
The submarines will be built in the UK and Australia and work will begin by 2030, the Government has said,.
The UK and Australia will both operate the SSN-AUKUS as their conventionally armed attack submarine, equipped for 'intelligence, surveillance, undersea warfare and strike missions'.
A decision on how many submarines the UK will require is expected to be made in the coming years and be based on strategic threat.
And a major UK naval figure, the First Sea Lord, has said he is confident AUKUS submarine will be delivered on time.
BAE-built Astute and Dreadnought submarines have seen high-profile delays.
Speaking to a naval news outlet, First Sea Lord Admiral Ben Key said: “I’m confident that the work is going on, the way that the choices are being rigorously examined and slowly downselected against the timeline that we need to meet will ensure that SSN AUKUS will arrive on time, delivering just the capabilities that we require and crewed by either a UK crew or [an] Australian crew or, very probably, a mixture of both because we will be so integrated by then that it will almost be a natural [extension] of what we’re doing."
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