BAE Systems Lands £5.9bn UK Dreadnought Submarine Contract
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- BAE Systems has been awarded a £5.9bn UK Government contract to progress the Dreadnought Class nuclear deterrent submarines toward entry into service.
- Dreadnought, first of class, continues construction at BAE's Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, with delivery to the Royal Navy targeted for the early 2030s.
- The contract also funds continued work on boat two Valiant, plus fabrication and outfitting of Warspite and King George VI, the remaining two boats in early-stage construction.
- The four-boat Dreadnought Class will replace the existing Vanguard-built Vanguard fleet to maintain the UK's Continuous at Sea Deterrent capability.
- The source states the Dreadnought Class will be the biggest, most powerful and technically advanced submarines ever built for the Royal Navy.
- The BAE contract forms part of a wider £8.4bn Ministry of Defence package approved by parliament.
- The build programme is being delivered in collaboration with the MOD's Defence Nuclear Enterprise, the partnership that operates, maintains, renews and sustains the UK's nuclear deterrent.
Why it matters: The £5.9bn award keeps BAE's Barrow-in-Furness yard at the centre of a through-2030s build cycle replacing the Vanguard fleet, while the larger £8.4bn parliamentary envelope signals sustained, multi-boat funding for the Continuous at Sea Deterrent ahead of Dreadnought's early-2030s handover.
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