Construction started yesterday on the Royal Navy’s largest ever submarine
The nuclear sub will be over 150 metres long, weigh 17,500 tonnes, armed with Trident missiles and have accommodation for 130 male and female crew.
The ‘Successor’ project is for four submarines to replace the current Vanguard-class boats which are based at Faslane on the Clyde.
Manufacturing work has begun in Barrow in Cumbria on structural steel work for the ‘auxiliary machine space’ of the first submarine: this contains switchboards and control panels for the reactor.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “Britain’s ballistic missile submarines are the ultimate guarantee of our nation’s safety – we use them every day to deter the most extreme threats.
“We cannot know what new dangers we might face in the 2030s, 2040s and 2050s so we are acting now to replace them.
“Along with increasing the defence budget to buy new ships, planes and armoured vehicles, this shows that this Government will never gamble with our national security.”
Mr Fallon also toured the Devonshire Dock Hall where Audacious, Anson and Agamemnon, the fourth, fifth and sixth of seven Astute class nuclear-powered submarines, are currently under construction.
Tony Douglas, chief executive officer of the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation, said: “A central part of this nation’s defence, the Successor submarines will protect each and every one of us, as well as future generations.
“The Successor programme is the MoD’s biggest project and it will require team work, tremendous skill, commitment from our industrial partners and the UK supply chain, and close collaboration with our US allies to deliver it successfully.”
Male and female crew mmm where did that one come from?
Graham, perhaps it arrived from France; along with the steel for the boats.