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Political reporter Paul Seddon will announce on Monday that the UK plans to build up to 12 new attack submarines as part of its major defense review. The aim is to move the armed forces to “warfighting readiness” to counter the increasing threats faced by the country. Sir Keir Starmer will state that up to 12 conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines will replace the current fleet starting from the late 2030s. Additionally, the prime minister is expected to confirm a £15bn spending on the nuclear warhead program as part of the review.
According to Sir Keir, the new submarines, along with the nuclear-armed ones, will ensure the safety of Britain and Nato for years to come. The Strategic Defense Review, commissioned by Labour and led by ex-Labour defense secretary Lord Robertson, will chart the course for the UK’s armed forces in the coming years. It will propose 62 recommendations, which the government is anticipated to accept in full. Other announcements in the review will include commitments to various defense-related projects, such as building new factories for munitions production, investing in cyber and electromagnetic command, and funding repairs to military housing.
Defence Secretary John Healey has indicated that there are no plans to increase the overall size of the Army before the next general election. He aims to reverse the decline in numbers and return the strength of full-time soldiers to 73,000 “in the next Parliament.” The construction of the new submarines is expected to create 30,000 jobs and support 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles over the next decade. The MoD mentioned that the Astute class of attack submarines currently in use has nuclear-powered engines and are equipped with conventional torpedoes and missiles.
The next generation of attack submarines, planned to replace the Astute series, is the SSN-AUKUS, developed in partnership with the Australian Navy under a deal agreed upon in 2023. Furthermore, work is underway to modernize the warheads carried by Trident Missiles, with a £15bn investment supporting the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent. Sir Keir is set to reiterate the commitment to deliver the Dreadnought class of nuclear-armed submarines, which will replace the Vanguard fleet from the early 2030s. Overall, the government’s defense spending is under scrutiny in light of the ongoing Ukraine war and pressure from Nato and global leaders to increase military budgets
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