The United Kingdom is set to significantly expand its fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines by “up to 12”.
The move is a central plank of the new strategic defence review (SDR) aimed at shifting the UK’s Armed Forces to “warfighting readiness” in response to what the government describes as “rapidly increasing threats.”
John Healey, the defence secretary, told the BBC over the weekend that the SDR will send a “message to Moscow” by strengthening the UK’s military capabilities.
The SDR, which will be published on Monday, is understood to make 62 recommendations, which the government is expected to accept in full.
Unveiling the submarine announcement, Healey said in a statement: “Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression.
“With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
This major uplift in naval capability follows the previously outlined £15 billion investment in the UK’s sovereign nuclear warhead programme. The government states these investments will transform “critical parts of the defence industry” and directly support an estimated 30,000 highly skilled jobs across the country.
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Speaking on Monday, the prime minister is expected to say: “National security is the foundation of my Plan for Change, and this plan will ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering a defence dividend of well-paid jobs up and down the country.
Keir Starmer will add: “This strategic defence review will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our Armed Forces have the equipment they need that keeps us safe at home while driving greater opportunity for our engineers, shipbuilders and technicians of the future.”
Beyond the submarine expansion, the government will commit to several other measures in response to the SDR. These include increasing stockpiles of munitions and support equipment, procuring up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons, establishing a new CyberEM Command with a £1 billion investment in digital capability, and allocating over £1.5 billion to repair and renew armed forces housing.
The government is also reaffirming its commitment to the Royal Navy’s Continuous At Sea Nuclear Deterrent, backed by the £15 billion warhead programme investment in this parliament. This includes “significant modernisation” of infrastructure at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston.
The government has previously committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP from 2027, with an ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament, contingent on economic and fiscal conditions.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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