Hundreds of jobs have been secured by a £170 million investment into developing technology for British submarines, the Government has announced.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the money will be used on design and concept work for when the next generation of Royal Navy submarines come into service.
Mr Wallace said: “Marking the start of a new journey for the Royal Navy’s submarines, British designers and engineers will lead the way in developing submarines for our Royal Navy.
“This multimillion-pound investment ensures that this vital capability will be ready to replace our Astute Class submarines as they come out of service, whilst supporting high-skilled jobs across the Midlands and north-west of England.”
It will mean around 250 roles will be sustained at the shipyard and 100 jobs in Derby.
The design work will help inform future decisions to decide on the replacements for the Astute Class submarines, the nuclear-powered fleet of submarines, currently in service with the Royal Navy.
“It is essential that work on the next generation underwater capability commences as early as possible.
“This relies on some of the nation’s most experienced defence nuclear experts from the very beginning of the design phase.”
Britain’s nuclear deterrent Trident missiles are carried by the Vanguard-class submarines, based at Clyde Naval Base on the west coast of Scotland.
