LONDON — The UK government has outlined plans to double its submarine production rate to meet the requirement for up to 12 SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered attack submarines for the Royal Navy, while continuing construction of four Dreadnought-class nuclear deterrent submarines.
The expansion will require additional capacity at BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, Rolls-Royce’s Raynesway facility and the wider supply chain. The plans were detailed in the Submarine Delivery Agency’s (SDA) Annual Report and Accounts 2025/2026, presented to Parliament on October 21, 2026.
New Submarine Production Alliance
The Ministry of Defence is establishing a Submarine Production Alliance to bring the Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS programmes under a single portfolio. It will unite the SDA with BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce Submarines and Babcock International to coordinate design, production and supply chain requirements.
SDA chief executive Sir Chris Gardner said investments at Barrow and across the supply chain were improving construction performance. Funding through the Submarine Build Modernisation and Core Production Capability programmes is intended to prepare the industry for SSN-AUKUS and the UK’s commitments under AUKUS Pillar 1.
Gardner said the ambition is to enable continuous submarine production in the UK to meet the requirement for up to 12 SSN-AUKUS submarines and double the production rate. The agency has not specified a deadline for achieving the target.
Dreadnought Construction and SSN-AUKUS Preparations
The SDA reported that more than one million hours of construction work were delivered on the Dreadnought programme in 2025, three times the volume recorded in 2023. All components for the first submarine have been transferred to the Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow for final assembly and outfitting. Construction continues on all four Dreadnought submarines.
Work is also underway on the new Devonshire Dock Quay to support in-water testing and commissioning of current and future submarine classes. More than 300 UK suppliers attended the alliance’s first supply chain conference in 2025, aimed at coordinating companies supporting both programmes.
The SSN-AUKUS submarines will replace the Royal Navy’s Astute-class attack submarines. The UK completed the programme’s Preliminary Design Review in June 2026, concluding the process on July 1, ahead of the original September target.
The UK plans to begin construction of the first SSN-AUKUS submarine in 2027, with entry into service expected in the late 2030s. The final number of UK submarines is expected to be confirmed before the end of the Detailed Design and Long Lead phase in 2028.
The UK and Australia established a 50-year partnership for the programme through a treaty signed in July 2025. Rolls-Royce received a £9 billion, eight-year Unity contract in January 2025 to design and manufacture naval nuclear reactors.
Investment and Supply Chain Expansion
The government aims to achieve a production rate of one submarine every 18 months from the mid-2030s. Around £6 billion is being invested during the current Spending Review period to expand facilities at Barrow and Raynesway, including a Primary Components and Operations Facility at Raynesway.
The SDA is working with industrial partners to identify supply chain bottlenecks and reduce delays. Additional suppliers have been introduced in the motors category to reduce reliance on single-source providers.
BAE Systems’ Barrow facility employs around 13,500 people and is the UK’s only site licensed and equipped to build nuclear-powered submarines. Rolls-Royce Submarines employs around 4,000 people, while peak demand for SSN-AUKUS is expected to support more than 20,000 roles across the UK.
The SDA’s annual report outlines the framework for expanding submarine production, but confirms that the planned doubling of the production rate has not yet been achieved.
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