National effort launched as UK outlines commitment to nuclear deterrence

The approach to investing in and maintaining the UK's nuclear deterrent has been revealed by Defense Secretary Grant Shapps for the first time today.

The Defense Nuclear Command document was published today as the Prime Minister announced a national drive to secure the future of the UK's thriving nuclear defense industry, backed by more than £200m of government funding, investing in the future of the UK's home for submarine construction. , Barrow-in-Furness.

The Prime Minister's announcement also included investment in nuclear skills, which will help create more than 5,000 new apprenticeships over the next four years as part of a new nuclear skills plan and quadrupling PhDs in the nuclear sector. It is supported by a total of at least 763 million investments through a partnership between government and industry, including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, EDF and Babcock. The benefit of this investment will be felt from the Naval Base on the Clyde to AWE's nuclear laboratories at Aldermaston.

It will also boost private investment and create thousands of jobs to help keep the nation safe, from specialist scientists and engineers to welders and electricians, to project managers and Royal Navy submariners.

The publication of the Command Document sets out the full range of key programs and relationships with industry and international partners and comes as the Defense Secretary says that maintaining the UK's nuclear deterrent is as important now as it has ever been, in an increasingly and more contested and unstable. world.

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The threats facing the UK and our allies are growing in scale, complexity and diversity, which is why our nuclear deterrence is as important now as it has ever been.

This government has always been unequivocal in its support for the UK's nuclear deterrent, which is fundamental to our national security but also brings huge employment and skills opportunities that are now being realized across the country.

In the last spending review, in 2021, the Ministry of Defense received an increase of 24 billion lek – the largest sustained increase since the end of the Cold War. Since then, the department has invested an additional $5 billion in stockpiling and improving the sustainability of our nuclear defense enterprise. This Nuclear Defense Command Document will be the first step in a long-term approach, reaffirming governments' unwavering commitment to nuclear deterrence.

The Defense Nuclear Command document sets out how the government will proceed:

• Support the UK's nuclear deterrence for as long as required – maintaining the current fleet in service of the Vanguard and Sovereign warhead, progressing with new Dreadnought-class submarines, bringing them into service in the early 2030s, as and developing a new replacement sovereign warhead.

• Support the UK's fleet of nuclear powered, conventionally armed submarines, complete construction of the Astute class and design the next generation SSN-AUKUS fleet. This includes deep collaboration with our American and Australian partners under the innovative tripartite partnership AUKUS.

• Recruit the skills of the future with a clear plan to expand the nuclear workforce to meet our ambitions in this growing sector and develop targeted interventions to ensure we have the specialist skills required now and in the future through a new nuclear capability plan.

• Renew and upgrade key infrastructure and naval bases with an additional £3 billion invested across the Defense Nuclear Enterprise by 2024/25, supporting areas such as building industrial infrastructure at Barrow, Derby and the Atomic Weapons Establishment, as well as at His Majesty's Naval Bases.

• Remain fully committed to meeting our international obligations – there is no change in our commitment to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons and our non-proliferation and Treaty obligations.

The Prime Minister has also today announced a Plan for Barrow as a further part of this national effort, a new partnership between national and local government, BAE Systems and the local community, which will oversee investment and development in Barrow-in-Furness, the home of submarine building in the UK.

This is supported by a Barrow Transformation Fund, with the Government committing £20 million immediately and a minimum of another £20 million per year over the next 10 years to make the area an even more attractive place to live, work and build a nuclear career .

Head of Nuclear Defence, Madelaine McTernan CB, said:

The work of the Defense Nuclear Enterprise is a critical national effort.

The Command Document sets out how, working in partnership with industry and our allies, we rely on the dedication of thousands of people across the country to deliver some of the most complex programs and keep the country safe.

First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC said:

For almost 55 years, the Royal Navy has operated the submarines that maintained the UK's independent nuclear deterrent.

The men and women on board, and thousands across the country, are essential in this mission to protect the UK and our NATO allies.

Through the work of the Defense Nuclear Enterprise, the Royal Navy is benefiting from the ongoing National Effort to deliver the UK's nuclear deterrent for the next generation and beyond.

The UK is investing to deliver new Dreadnought-class ballistic nuclear submarines to take over from the current Vanguard Class in the early 2030s and is developing a replacement for the UK's sovereign warhead.

Last week, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps visited Australia for discussions about the ongoing AUKUS partnership, which provides international cooperation on nuclear defense projects. It was recently announced that Australia is also investing in Rolls-Royce, Derby, where nuclear propulsion plants will be manufactured. The AUKUS programme, first announced in 2021, will support more than 21,000 UK jobs at its peak centered on Barrow-in-Furness and Derby.

The UK submarine program already supports prosperity across the UK with around 42,000 jobs and a supply chain of 3,000 businesses.

Our independent nuclear deterrent has existed for more than 60 years to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life. It will remain essential as long as the global security situation requires it.