UK nuclear submarines get £8.4bn investment

Britain announced a £8.4 billion ($11.2 billion) investment on Wednesday for the next phase of its Dreadnought Class nuclear submarine programme.

Downing Street said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was set to present the funding as an investment in the UK's nuclear deterrent and in jobs for young people. The government said the programme would support 22,000 apprenticeships over the next decade.

UK defence contractor BAE Systems has been tasked with delivering four Dreadnought Class nuclear-powered submarines. BAE is set to receive £5.9 billion of the new investment, with the rest going to the wider supply chain.

Downing Street said the funding would help the first submarine, HMS Dreadnought, complete sea trials and be ready to enter service with the Royal Navy in the early 2030s. It said the second vessel, HMS Valiant, would reach the sea trial phase, while the third and fourth submarines would move through construction.

Burnham was set to say during a Thursday visit to BAE's shipyard in Barrow, northwestern England, that the submarines would protect Britain for decades and that 47,000 jobs and apprenticeships would change lives.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the investment secured the government's commitment to deliver the Dreadnought Class submarines by backing British industry.

The UK government has earmarked more than £63 billion over the next four years for its nuclear deterrent, including the Dreadnought submarines and new attack submarines linked to the AUKUS military alliance with Australia and the United States. The defence plan has a £4.7 billion funding gap over the next four years.