Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer says up to 12 new submarines will be built at the Barrow shipyard replacing the Astute Class attack submarines which are still under construction in Cumbria.
Speaking in Glasgow this morning he confirmed that a dozen boats will be constructed for the UK as part of the SSN-AUKUS programme – the collaboration between Australia, the UK and US.
The conventionally armed boats will replace the Astute Class submarines and come into service from the late 2030s.
Five of the class of seven Astute submarines have been delivered to the Royal Navy with the remaining two due to enter service by the end of 2026.
In March the keel of the first Dreadnought Class submarines was laid in Barrow. Dreadnought will replace the Barrow-built Vanguard Class submarines to maintain the UK’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD).
The new SSN construction programme will see a major expansion of BAE Systems in Barrow and at Rolls-Royce at Raynesway, Derby.
“The announcement that the submarine fleet will be significantly expanded, with up to 12 new SSN-AUKUS boats to be built at the Barrow shipyard, is huge news for our local economy,” Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham said.
“The announcement that the submarine fleet will be significantly expanded, with up to 12 new SSN-AUKUS boats to be built at the Barrow shipyard, is huge news for our local economy.
“This will safeguard jobs, provide huge opportunities for local people, and be the driver for our local economy across South Cumbria.
“The Prime Minister has already committed to Barrow being a blueprint for how defence spending can boost communities up and down the country, and the announcement today builds on that commitment.
“The work is already underway to ensure that the investment in our shipyard is felt by everyone with investment in public services, infrastructure, and other local amenities.”
Barrow is critical to the UK’s national security as the home of design and construction of the Royal Navy’s submarines and earlier this year details of Team Barrow, a partnership between central government, Westmorland and Furness Council and BAE Systems, was set out.
More than £200 million of government investment will be delivered in the area over the next decade.
“The people of Barrow and Furness are right to be proud of their role in keeping this nation safe over many decades,” Defence Secretary John Healey said. “Our commitment today to expanding the attack submarine fleet in the town is the start of the next chapter of that illustrious history.
“This Labour government’s historic increase in defence spending means more jobs, more apprentices and better opportunities for people in Barrow and in every region. Barrow and Furness will lead the way in showing how defence is a powerful engine for growth across the UK.”
A spokesman for Team Barrow said: “We welcome today’s announcement. The UK’s submarine programme is a truly national endeavour and Barrow is at the heart of this, as it has been for many decades.
“The town’s importance to our nation’s defence and security is the reason why the Team Barrow partnership was formed, to capitalise on this once-in-a-generation opportunity and enable the continued delivery of current and future submarines, including for the first time a tri-national element.”
