The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Royal Navy’s long-planned additional fleet docking capability is now formally being delivered through Programme Euston, with the aim of providing new out-of-water engineering capacity at HM Naval Base Clyde in the early 2030s.
In a written parliamentary answer, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said Programme Euston is the Navy’s solution to the requirement for additional fleet time docking, a capability seen as increasingly critical to sustaining the UK’s submarine force.
“Programme Euston is the Royal Navy’s solution to Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability,” Pollard said. “The programme aims to deliver a resilient out of water engineering capability at HMNB Clyde by the early 2030s.”
He added that the next major milestone will be the submission of a Programme Business Case in mid-2026, after which timelines will continue to be reviewed through the Ministry of Defence’s major programmes portfolio. The department declined to provide more detailed delivery schedules, citing commercial and operational sensitivities. The latest response aligns with earlier parliamentary disclosures indicating that design work on new floating dry docks is already underway.
Last year, Defence Minister Lord Coaker confirmed that the Ministry of Defence intends to place a manufacturing contract once technical specifications have been finalised and a formal procurement process completed. At the time, he stated that a contract would follow “production of the technical specification and upon completion of a procurement process.” Programme Euston is intended to address long-standing constraints in the Royal Navy’s ability to take submarines out of the water for maintenance at Faslane, pressures that are expected to increase as the Astute class continues in service, the Vanguard boats remain operational, and the Dreadnought class enters the fleet.
Although the programme does not formally sit within the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the government has previously indicated that the UK industrial base is expected to be involved. Lord Coaker said in earlier answers that “the analogous shipbuilding sector is well placed to participate in an upcoming procurement for the floating docks,” and confirmed that the National Shipbuilding Office had been consulted ahead of the programme’s next investment decision point. No assessment has yet been published on the number of jobs the programme could support, with ministers previously stating that this will depend on the outcome of procurement decisions and build strategy.
Planned for the early thirties, so some time around 2040…
I find this unbelievable really.
This kind of thing can be contracted from people who make them for a day job and delivered.
I sense we are going to go down the job creation scheme route of trying to build in the UK with the learning curve. Whatever anyone says we don’t have enough welders so finding a bunch more makes so much sense – on what planet?
Are they actually going to buy anything in this Parliament or are they kicking the can for the next government?
I only ask as how can it take so long?