Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has awarded a £235m contract to support nuclear propulsion systems and revealed the name of the third Dreadnought submarine…
The multi-million-pound deal with Rolls-Royce Submarines Limited will provide the support, advice and material required to ensure the continued safety and availability of the systems on board the current fleet of Trafalgar, Vanguard and Astute class submarines until 2022. The contract will sustain around 500 UK jobs.
During the visit to Rolls-Royce’s site in Raynesway, Derbyshire, the Defence Secretary also announced that HMS Warspite will be the name of third Dreadnought submarine.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “This year we mark half-a-century since British nuclear-armed submarines began their continuous patrol of waters around the world. This significant milestone for the Royal Navy would not be possible without the skills and ingenuity of our industry partners who supply and maintain equipment.”
The name Warspite goes back to 1595 and was the last ‘great ship’ to be built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Warspite has been carried by eight Royal Navy vessels. The last being the UK’s third nuclear submarine, which operated for over 20 years at the height of the Cold War.
In December 2018, the Defence Secretary announced a £400m funding boost for the Dreadnought programme alongside a £25m BAE Systems academy that will upskill employees working on Royal Navy submarines. The Dreadnought Class submarines will enter service in the 2030s.
The new Nuclear Propulsion Lifetime Management contract will provide vital support to the delivery of the Continuous at Sea Deterrent, which reaches the 50th anniversary milestone this year. The jobs sustained by this contract will be predominantly at Rolls-Royce in Derby and satellite offices at HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport.
