The Ministry of Defence is working closely with Rolls-Royce Submarines (RRS) to boost delivery confidence for the Core Production Capability programme.
This aims to increase production rates and strengthen manufacturing resilience, thereby ensuring that the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet remains on track to meet operational demands.
Minister for Defence, Maria Eagle, explained, “The Department is working closely with Rolls-Royce Submarines (RRS) to improve delivery confidence for the Core Production Capability programme. This has included increasing production rates and improving manufacturing resilience.”
Her comments underscore the commitment to enhancing the efficiency of the UK’s submarine shipbuilding efforts.
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has confirmed that these ongoing actions are appropriate, as outlined in its Annual Report on Major Projects 2023-24. The progress made since 31 March 2024 reflects the government’s dedication to a robust and reliable nuclear submarine industrial base.
According to the report, the programme is fundamental to providing the Royal Navy with the capability to propel the Dreadnought-class submarines and a “modern, safe, and sovereign capability to manufacture further cores” for a future fleet of attack submarines.
This capability is also essential for fulfilling the UK’s commitments under the AUKUS defence partnership.
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I read in an article from an Australian news outlet (can’t remember which one) a couple of days ago that it seems unlikely the rolls royce would be able to meet the number of nuclear reactors required for the AUKUS submarines, Hope they can increase their output and for the demand?
I don’t think RR under it’s current management will have a problem with manufacturing the required number of Reactors.
I think it’s fair to say that there is a lot of scepticism in the aussie press/commentators etc that the UK industrial base is upto providing it’s part of the aukus submarine program. Personally the RR reactors are the part of the program I am probably least concerned about…
The Aussie press is the worst, absolute gutter snakes, they make Fox look good. I often feel like we should tell the to fuck off and build their own reactors. We may need to keep the increased production for ourselves.
Trump is probably going to cancel AUKUS anyway after he surrenders to the CCP.
So… just AUK?
It wouldn’t surprise me, at the very least I suspect he’ll rescind the plan to transfer Virginia class subs to Australia. Without that interim transfer pending new subs, Australia will face a huge gap between Collins and the AUKUS subs.
To be honest I’d actually like to see Rolls Royce develop a much smaller/more compact reactor, that could be fitted to a modified SSK design. If the UK, Japan and Australia, and perhaps even Canada cooperated, that would be ideal. Take a modified Taigei class (Japan’s latest SSK), but add a RR reactor compartment, it would be a pretty capable design.
“ To be honest I’d actually like to see Rolls Royce develop a much smaller/more compact reactor, that could be fitted to a modified SSK design.”
The size limitation is down to the incredible levels of safety built into them.
The reactors are designed to survive intact and functional even with extreme shock to the hull such as torpedo near miss.
You could make them an awful lot smaller if you reduced resilience and safety redundancy. The active choice is as safe and robust as possible
This week Australia paid $500 million as the 1st instalment for the US boats and I have a funny feeling that those orders will become more certain rather than less.
He wants to have a nuclear disarmament treaty with China & Russia to discuss halving the number of Nukes, Russia will only agree if U.K. and France are included.
His reason is that he wants to cut US defence budget so he can have more Tax cuts for Uber Rich Folks. Bearing in mind that achieving the numbers required is proving a tad difficult, I think he will cut SSBN/SSN numbers in the Battle Force 2045 plan. Hence those extra boats for RAN will help with jobs and exports.
I agree but it’s hard to ascertain any strategy with the Donald and Elon, almost like two mental ward patients running around oh wait 😀
If he does follow through in his plans to cut the US defence budget in half which they are going to have to do to get their tax cuts through it could free up a pile of Virginia’s for Australia to buy.
Although will Australia want to be seen to be tied to the USA in China’s back yard as America withdraws from the region.
Well we all know what Murdoch thinks about the UK he will always push for US hegemony in Oz as he does in the US itself. I expect t Australia will be offered 51st State status before the term is up expansion of the US is the only real way Trump can expand US economics, power and internal popularity in the long run and Murdoch wherever he can will feed into that. Australians of course will, like Canada have a very different view.
I’d tend to agree.
RR is a pretty big company with the financial muscle, footprint and knowledge to execute.
Particularly as they have the lead time to do so.
I’m not sure why the AUS press are so sceptical as there is major recruitment and facilities building going on and we have a hot SSN & SSBN production line that is active.
The delays to the second batch of ASTUTE can’t be all placed at BAES door. Sometimes the customer needs to take some blame!
It’s because our national audit office threw out one of its standard nonsense comments stating the project was “undeliverable”.
Much like their traffic light system that stays red on every project until it’s finished then magically turns green.
Well when they turn things red due to delays fundamentally due to the Defence Review I guess anything is possible.
I would like to see RR produce their modular reactors so the UK can have clean electricity.
So would RR ! But the certification process is taking for ever. Fact is Miliband hates Nuclear, he was on R4 recently all he went on about was Solar and Wind, he went on and on about them and completely ducked the question about us having nearly 3 solid months with grey sky’s, very little wind and having to use imported gas to keep the lights on.
Unfortunately in a social environment where any degree of risk whether engineering or financial is unacceptable – everything takes forever and costs a fortune.
If people appreciated how much this zero risk approach actually costs they wouldn’t tolerate it.
Surely all the Dreadnoughts reactors are already in the loop ? All I see here is flannel, no numbers, no facts just a vague and typical Eagles ism.
They have to ordered 8 to 10 years beforehand.
So I assume that all the Dreadnoughts are already ordered then ? This must be a long term order for a yet unknown number of AUKUS Reactors ? Not really sure if this is based on actual known numbers but I’m going to assume that the SDR will clarify just how many each Country will be ordering ?
Would assume until the design is at least near confirmed, ordering reactors will be a little difficult certainly as you say numbers are sorted.
You will probably not see numbers till mid 2028 ! Simple reason is the SSN(A) project is in the Design phase D2L2, the design drives the cost and the cost drives the numbers and then the numbers can effect the cost. which may sound daft but the bigger the order the lower the cost.
I’m guessing here but if I were a betting man (I’m not) my money would be on 10 RN and 5 RAN, but if Tango man walks back on the 3 Virginias it could be 8 for RAN. A production run if 16 / 18 is very optimum number bearing mind we then need to replace the Dreadnoughts. 🤔
I’m just slightly bemused by this “announcement” unless it’s in response to the sniping comments made by the Australian press as it’s stating the bleeding obvious and well after the fact.
It’s no secret here in Derby but the upscaling of the facilities, recruitment, training and plant size has been ongoing for longer than most folks think, it’s just a bit more prominent in the press and politics these days. A lot of that started when Dreadnought was being planned as the plant needed to be modernised, replaced and expanded, all AUKUS has done is bring it to the fore and enlarge the capacity. The Raynesway site is being doubled in size, its expanding at the back and over onto the Northern side of the Midland Mainline (they are even building a Multi Storey Car Park).
As far as I am aware the SSN(A) project is mid way through the D2L2 phase and that should finish in 2028, then the fun begins as they will have the costings and those determine the numbers to be ordered.
As for the sniping comments from Down Under about RR being unable to produce sufficient reactors / cores I’d love to see their reasoning for that. If it’s based on the post cold war production rate it’s flawed logic as orders were very low (12 PWR2 in 28 years).
FYI For those of us with long memories RR&A (as it was) churned out 22 operational PWR1 between 1960 and 1985, plus 1 live but non operational test PWR1 for HMS Vulcan and another test reactor called Neptune. And that was all done from a standing start and without the benefit of 60 years of experience.
After that the Cold War ended, purse strings closed up, fewer boats were ordered and investment dried up. But just like SFM and BAe up at Barrow everything is getting ready and the Ausies can’t get a refund.
Great reply, I see you see it and tell it like it is. Thanks for this, I take much on board.
Most people involved in Australian news can’t read from what I have seen let alone study history. In Australia our Sun would be like the Times in the UK.
The major logic and rational I have seen on sky news Australia is “surely American stuff is the best and the poms don’t know what they are doing”
They seem to think since Australia can’t make anything anymore that the UK must be in the same boat.
Hadn’t hugely helped when all our A boats were on the wall due to a confluence of bad timing and bad decisions.
Considering how much of Rolls Royce production is in Australia, I’d have expected more respect for RR engineering competence. Yes, not nuclear powered, but general expectation of engineering competence..
Hopefully the new RR building and Sheffield’s new reactor vessel welding process will result in a significant reduction in production times.
The headline is a bit misleading. RR isn’t increasing production,yet, it is trying to accelerate build times for the Dreadnought programme.
Submarine Reactors on the Government Major Project Portfolio (GMPP) is RED for over budget and behind schedule. Don’t hold your breath.