The government has confirmed that construction of SSN-AUKUS submarines will begin in the late 2020s, with the first UK boats expected to enter service in the late 2030s.
Minister of State for Defence Luke Pollard provided the details in response to a written question from Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, tabled on 26 May. Obese-Jecty asked when the next submarine would be produced and whether it would be in line with the continuous production schedule of a submarine every 18 months referenced in the Strategic Defence Review.
Pollard confirmed that “on current plans, construction of SSN-AUKUS submarines will start in the late 2020s, with the aim to deliver the first UK submarines into service in the late 2030s.” He said that to meet this demand, the government is “investing more than £6 billion to transform submarine-building infrastructure at Barrow and Raynesway and the supply chain,” as announced in the Spending Review.
Pollard said the investment “will enable an 18-month submarine production rate and a 12-month nuclear reactor production rate, which in turn will allow us to grow to a class size of up to 12 SSN-AUKUS submarines as well as to deliver on our commitments to Australia under the AUKUS partnership.”
The 18-month production cadence is central to the UK’s ability to sustain a growing submarine fleet while simultaneously meeting its AUKUS commitments to Australia. BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard is undergoing significant expansion to accommodate the programme, while Rolls-Royce’s Raynesway facility in Derby produces the nuclear reactors that power the boats.
Reaching and sustaining an 18-month build rate would represent a huge increase in output compared to recent years, during which the Astute-class programme experienced significant delays and cost overruns that are informing how the SSN-AUKUS programme is being structured and managed.
Yay, I finally get a prediction right(ish)!
Very excited to see where this project grows. It’s been rumoured that a fleet expansion is coming, and with the submarine fleet remaining Britain’s most capable, and most survivable asset, then it’s absolutely right to prioritise it over the growth of the manned surface fleet.
Strange to think that full construction will begin before the end of the Astute-class production, though.
That doesn’t sound right, as 4 Dreadnoughts have to fit in there somewhere. Perhaps the last Astute will be doing it’s tests in the basin at Barrow when the first SSN-AUKUS enters the hall.
It is excellent news that in this at least we have some real ambition.
Currently all four Dreadnoughts are ‘under construction’, whilst Achilles receives its repairs and continues construction. So, there’s room in the chain, so to speak, for five boats to be ‘under construction’ at any one time.
Achilles is supposed to enter service in 2029, but whether that means commissioning (which would then suggests sea trials in 2030), or sea-trials, I’m not sure. Either way, depending on how it shakes out, Achilles probably won’t be in active service with the RN before the first SSN-AUKUS begins full construction.
Given the state of the Vanguard’s, the top priority is getting Dreadnought in to service ASAP. Completing her construction is far more important than repairing the 2024 smoke and fire damage to Achilles. I expect to see Dreadnought being rolled out in late 2027/early 2028 – very possibly before Achilles, particularly given that Barrow currently has the capacity to conduct final outfitting, system testing, sea trials and defect rectification on only one boat at a time. That process will take at least two years for Dreadnought, probably three as she is first of class. Allow another year for training and work-up, and 2032 looks like a reasonable target for her first deterrent patrol. Just about matches the official in service date of “early 2030’s”.
Agreed. SSN over an escort every day.
I remain skeptical that the RN will ever get more than 8.
As am I, but any increase is good at this point. 8, 10, maybe 12, all would be useful.
8 would be a shame given the great amount of money being thrown at this.
I myself think Blair’s cut from 12 to 10 was too far, but, 10 would be a big improvement.
We’ll see!
Agreed, but start late 2020’s withe first boat in the late 2030’s so ten years to build a submarine?
Not sure you are right
Last Astute HMS Achilles (Agincourt) planned delivery originally for 2026 now late 2028 or early 2029 but if the Treasury have their way because of feckless Govt. spending nip the dripfeed and I don’t only mean Labour
AUKUS subs should be in a beneficial cycle of production
Any bets on first metal cut at Barrow 2029?
I hope the rumours are right and DIP is published Monday ist June
Then finally we can see the complete picture
The 2/3-year delay to HMS Achilles was because she was significantly damaged during the fire in the DDH in October 2024. Perhaps even more importantly, HMS Dreadnought was also damaged, but we have no official estimate as to how long that will delay her commissioning. That fire was very expensive in every way.
A £300 million five year upgrade and major refurbishment to extend the life of the 40 year old DDH by 25 years has just started. Barrow desperately needs a second dock hall for AUKUS, but neither BAE or the DNO is willing to foot the estimated £500m bill. Even if the AUKUS build times are dramatically reduced compared to Astute, one boat every 24 months from the late 2030’s is surely as good as it will get with just the DDH. The frequently mentioned “drumbeat” of one every 18 months seems just fantasy without additional facilities.
That’s how it should be, we’ve been starved of a proper shipbuilding (or I guess in this case boat building) pipeline for so long that we’ve forgotten that the end of production of one class should mean the immediate start of its replacements construction.
A previous 1SL stated he wanted 12 SSNs
‘Nuclear attack submarines – they really frighten the fuzzy wuzzies’
And as SSN(A) is equipped with the VPM module, they represent a very credible strategic big stick
For sale: 7x Astute Class nuclear-powered Attack Submarines, never used.
Selling as upgrading to newer model.
£POA
Not sure who they’d find to buy them? A fair few of them are ‘fixer-uppers’.
An investment!
I’ll have one !
The last time we sold a second hand sub they were a bit leaky…
18 months production rate for boats and a 1 year for reactors is very tight. They will need new housing, schools, doctors and an upgrade to the hospital in Barrow to get that timetable. Trying to get that through planning means they pretty well have to start now.
Planning permission in barrow is pretty easy 😀
Trying to get What has been Sggested are upto 130 Mtrs long Vessels built one Every 18 mths in the DDH Seems Very Ambitious..
Any Chance Part of the £6bn Going on a New Bigger Buildig Hall….???
It does mean that Every one in three Reactor goes Down under…!
For the RN Presumably the Second boat of Class will begin 18 mths Later….? 2030/31 ??
“Grow to a Class size of up to 12”.
Well that sort of clears up whether the Astutes were In the “Up to” total.
Then again, who knows what the future will bring.
Would Point out that Once you Open a Protuction line this Complex and Specialised its Going to be Very Hard to Shut it Down…! We may well see 12 Vessels…Wheather we can Run 12 is Another Question…?????
Most nations seem to be struggling to get over above 70% availability on SSNs.. so 12 would give 8 boats probably running.
So we are looking at the last Asute probably leaving service in mid 2050s.. so if the first SSN-AUKUS is commissioned in the late 2030s that may be up to 15-16 year crossover between the two classes…