Progress Continues on UK’s Dreadnought Submarine Programme

BAE Systems and the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise. The programme supports approximately 30,000 jobs nationwide, with over 7,000 employees working at BAE Systems alone. Significant investment has been made in Barrow-in-Furness, where the submarine construction is centred, including a £1 billion upgrade to the BAE Systems Submarines site and workforce expansion from 11,000 to around 16,000 in four years. The Dreadnought-class submarines will be the largest and most advanced ever built for the Royal Navy, underpinning national security for decades. The programme also benefits from a £1.3 billion supply chain spend in the last financial year, involving more than 1,500 UK suppliers. Efforts continue to enhance local infrastructure and training through the £200 million Barrow Transformation Fund, ensuring sustained community and industrial support.