英国首相安迪·伯纳姆访问巴罗英造船厂，宣布启动三叉戟核潜艇替换项目的新阶段。[1]此次启动涉及价值8.4亿英镑的新合同阶段。[1]
伯纳姆强调了国防投资对经济发展的意义，并重申英国对北约的承诺。[1]英国政府目标在2035年前将国防支出增至国内生产总值的3.5%。[1]新项目预计到2030年支持核防务领域新增18,000个就业机会，到2035年增加22,000个学徒岗位。[1]目前英国军事核活动已支持47,000个就业岗位，其中13,500个位于巴罗船厂。[1]
防务承包商BAE Systems获得了59亿英镑的合同，用于完成首批四艘无畏级潜艇的建造。[1]整个无畏级项目规模为310亿英镑，包括100亿英镑的应急资金。[1]首艘舰HMS Dreadnought预计在2030年代初服役。[1]
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited BAE Systems' Barrow-in-Furness shipyard to unveil a new phase of the Dreadnought-class submarine programme, a replacement for the current Trident nuclear deterrent.[1] The announcement included an £8.4 billion contract award, part of a broader £31 billion Dreadnought project that also encompasses £10 billion in contingency funding.[1] BAE Systems secured a £5.9 billion contract to complete construction of the first four vessels, with the lead ship HMS Dreadnought expected to enter service in the early 2030s.[1]
Burnham framed the investment as both a defence priority and an economic stimulus. The nuclear defence sector currently supports 47,000 jobs across the UK, with 13,500 at the Barrow facility.[1] The new phase is projected to create 18,000 additional positions in nuclear defence by 2030, followed by a further 22,000 apprenticeships by 2035.[1] The Prime Minister reaffirmed Britain's NATO commitment to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035, though he declined to pledge achievement of the 3 per cent target by 2030.[1] Each current Vanguard-class submarine carries 40 nuclear warheads, sufficient destructive capacity to devastate multiple major Russian cities including Moscow.[1]