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The keel of the UK’s first new Dreadnought Class submarines – the most powerful and technically advanced boats ever designed for the Royal Navy – has been laid at BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard.
HMS Dreadnought is the first of four Dreadnought Class ballistic missile submarines being designed and built in Cumbria, set to replace the ageing Vanguard Class.
The ceremonial event, attended by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey, marked a significant milestone in the nation’s program to maintain its Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD) and bolster national security. The new class of submarines is scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s, with CASD maintained throughout the transition from the Vanguard to the Dreadnought Class.
Steve Timms, managing director of BAE Systems’ submarines business, said, “Laying the keel for the first of class, HMS Dreadnought, is an incredibly proud moment for everyone across the company, Defence Nuclear Enterprise and Royal Navy. It comes as the boat’s last major unit prepares to make its way into the Devonshire Dock Hall for final integration, demonstrating the progress made across the program to date.
“Our collective role in maintaining Continuous at Sea Deterrence is our most critical responsibility. It’s a truly national endeavour vital to safeguarding our way of life, as well as making a significant contribution to local and national prosperity. I’m proud that thousands of our highly skilled people are at the heart of today’s achievement.”
Prime Minister Starmer added, “It’s an honour to be here in Barrow to lay the keel for the next generation of nuclear-armed submarines. These boats will protect our people and allies from the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life for generations to come.”
Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, commented, “Since April 1969, Royal Navy submariners have been proud to deliver the Continuous at Sea Deterrent, ensuring at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine is on patrol, ready to respond to the most extreme threats to the UK.
“Whilst the Vanguard Class continues to deliver CASD today, the Royal Navy eagerly anticipates operating the highly sophisticated and advanced Dreadnought Class. This keel-laying ceremony is considered the ‘birth’ of a vessel and I congratulate all those involved across the alliance for reaching this important milestone in the life of HMS Dreadnought. I look forward to bringing this exciting and highly capable submarine into service.”
At 153.6 metres in length – roughly equivalent to the length of three Olympic swimming pools – the Dreadnought submarines will be the largest ever operated by the Royal Navy. Technological advances, evolving threats and new methods of design and production mean these new boats represent a significant leap forward compared to their predecessors, marking one of the largest and most complex engineering projects in the world.
The Dreadnought Alliance, a partnership between BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and the Ministry of Defence’s Submarine Delivery Agency, is managing delivery of the UK’s next nuclear deterrent platform. The Barrow shipyard, which has undergone over £1 billion of redevelopment, is set to drive efficiencies and increase capacity to build the Dreadnought vessels, ensuring that this historic site continues to deliver world-class submarines for generations.
In a wider economic boost, BAE Systems estimates spending in the region of £7.5 billion with 1,500 suppliers across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the overall Dreadnought program expected to support around 30,000 jobs throughout the UK.
