£8.4 billion has been allocated for the next Dreadnought submarine phase, with Burnham using a Barrow visit to cast the program as a pillar of industrial renewal and Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
BAE Systems will receive a new £5.9 billion contract for Delivery Phase 4, which is meant to take HMS Dreadnought through sea trials before service in the early 2030s.
The remaining £2.5 billion will go to the wider supply chain, with the government saying the program will support 65,000 jobs by 2030 and 22,000 apprenticeships by 2035.
Officials said the money is newly allocated within the £63.6 billion Defence Investment Plan already set over four years, and the underlying funding settlement was agreed under Keir Starmer’s government.
Burnham also plans to unveil a 30-place BAE apprentice scheme for unsuccessful applicants to connect them with other defence employers, underscoring his push to tie defence spending to domestic skills and jobs.
With £8.4bn committed to new nuclear submarines, how will the UK finance its massive defense spending targets without crippling the domestic economy?
As the ageing Vanguard fleet struggles with delays, could a maintenance failure leave the UK without its nuclear deterrent before Dreadnought arrives?
Is the Prime Minister's multi-billion submarine investment a genuine security necessity, or a calculated political maneuver to secure industrial votes?