In major defence review, UK to build up 12 new attack submarines

The United Kingdom government will build up to 12 new conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines as part of a sweeping defence review to be unveiled Monday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce the plan, marking a significant expansion of the Royal Navy’s capabilities as the country seeks to respond to growing global threats.

The submarines, which will replace the Royal Navy’s fleet of seven Astute-class vessels from the late 2030s, form a key part of a broader strategy to prepare the UK’s armed forces for “warfighting readiness.”

The defence review, commissioned shortly after Labour came to power in July 2024 and led by former Labour defence secretary Lord Robertson, is expected to make 62 recommendations—all of which the government intends to adopt.

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Speaking ahead of the review’s release, Sir Keir told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the threat posed by Russia “cannot be ignored,” and stressed that “the best way” to deter future conflict “was to prepare for it.”

In his official announcement, he will say the new submarines, alongside the UK’s existing nuclear-armed fleet, will help “keep Britain and NATO safe for decades.”

The review is also expected to confirm a £15 billion investment in modernising the UK’s nuclear warhead programme, a move designed to support the country’s continuous-at-sea deterrent.

This includes work already underway on warhead upgrades for the Trident missile system.

Other major defence commitments to be unveiled include £1.5 billion for the construction of six new munitions factories, the domestic production of up to 7,000 long-range weapons, ranging from missiles to drones and the creation of a new “cyber and electromagnetic command” to boost both offensive and defensive cyber operations.

Additionally, £1.5 billion will be allocated through 2029 for repairing military housing, and another £1 billion will fund technologies to accelerate targeting information for troops on the battlefield.

However, debate continues over defence spending levels. The government has pledged to increase defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, but its stated ambition of reaching 3% by 2034 has drawn criticism.

The Conservatives argue the milestone should be met by the end of the decade, a timeline that would add £20 billion annually to the defence budget.

Sir Keir has resisted calls for a firm date, insisting he will only set one “when he knew how it could be paid for,” adding that doing so prematurely would be “performative.”

Shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge, criticised the review, saying it should be “taken with a pinch of salt” unless there is a clear financial roadmap.

Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson, Helen Maguire, called Labour’s 2034 timeline “far too late” and urged a “concrete commitment” on funding, noting the plan leaves “serious questions” unanswered.

The new submarines, dubbed SSN-AUKUS, are being jointly developed with Australia under a 2021 trilateral defence pact initiated by the former Conservative government.

These vessels will eventually replace the Astute-class submarines, which have played a key role in protecting maritime task groups, gathering intelligence, and shielding the Vanguard-class submarines that carry the UK’s Trident nuclear arsenal.

The sixth submarine in the Astute series was launched last October, with the seventh and final unit still under construction.

(BBC)

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