Defence Secretary announces £4bn UK contracts to develop Aukus hunter-killer submarines
The Defence Secretary has announced £4bn worth of contracts with British firms as part of the development of the Aukus hunter-killer submarine programme.
Grant Shapps said the submarines, which are to be nuclear-powered and conventionally armed, would be the "most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy".
In his speech at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, Mr Shapps said: "Today, I can announce that we've signed contracts worth £4bn with leading British businesses to drive forward the development of the most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy."
Mr Shapps said "these hunter-killer Aukus submarines will empower the Royal Navy to maintain our strategic advantage under the sea", and will support "thousands of jobs".
Aukus is a security pact between the UK, US and Australia to build a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines.
SSN-Aukus submarines will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy.
The submarines are set to begin entering service with the Royal Navy in the late 2030s and in the early 2040s for the Royal Australian Navy.
The Conservative Party said the contracts have been signed with BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Babcock Marine, and will support thousands of British jobs.
The hunter-killer Astute class of submarines includes HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson.
The final two submarines in the class – Agamemnon and Agincourt – are still in development.
The Defence Secretary also announced RAF Typhoons have been sent to Poland to support the UK ally from the "threat of Russian interference", and that hundreds of extra troops will be deployed in Kosovo following a request from Nato.
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