Prime Minister appoints Sir Stephen Lovegrove as special representative on Aukus

The Prime Minister has appointed Sir Stephen Lovegrove as his special representative on Aukus.

The former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence will support the Defence Secretary and the National Security Adviser to drive the Aukus programme forward.

Aukus is a security and defence partnership between the UK, Australia and the United States to build a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines.

• Healey reaffirms commitment to tri-nation Aukus nuclear submarine partnership
• Aukus: How new £4bn deal could create Royal Navy's most advanced and most powerful attack submarine
• UK open to idea of other nations joining Aukus submarine pact, Foreign Secretary suggests

"Sir Stephen is fully committed to ensuring the UK plays a leading role within Aukus and holds widely respected national security experience," Defence Secretary John Healey said.  

"I am very grateful to him for taking up this appointment and look forward to working closely with him and our partners in the US and Australia as we take the Aukus partnership to new heights."

It comes after the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary commissioned Sir Stephen to review the UK's progress against its core commitments under Aukus.  

The review was tasked with identifying barriers to success and setting out recommendations on how to unlock further areas of opportunity around the UK and with the US and Australia.

The former National Security Adviser showed his findings to the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary earlier this year.

Sir Stephen will be heading to Washington DC to show his review to the US government this week and then will go on to Canberra to present it to the Australian government before a public version is released.

Sir Stephen said: "It [Aukus] is a uniquely powerful partnership which will develop and deliver cutting-edge capabilities, help to revitalise Britain's defence industrial base and provide sustained employment for thousands of people across the UK, US and Australia.

"I am delighted to accept the role as the Prime Minister's special representative on Aukus and I look forward to starting work immediately to help maximise the potential of this vital partnership." 

SSN-Aukus submarines will be the biggest, most advanced and most powerful submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy.

The submarines are scheduled to enter service with the Royal Navy in the late 2030s and the early 2040s for the Royal Australian Navy.

The Aukus submarine programme is set to generate an additional 7,000 UK jobs.