Arabic version: تمويل بقيمة 8.4 مليارات جنيه إسترليني لغواصات دريدنوت يسلّط الضوء على الوظائف والدفاع

According to BBC News, the government will provide £8.4bn for the next phase of the Dreadnought-class submarine programme, which is building four new vessels at Barrow-in-Furness. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said continued investment would protect Britain for decades and support jobs and apprenticeships.

The Dreadnought submarines are intended to replace the UK’s four Vanguard-class vessels, which have operated since 1992 and carry Trident missiles as part of the nuclear deterrent. The Vanguard fleet is due to retire in the 2030s, when the new submarines are expected to enter service.

The £8.4bn announcement starts the project’s fourth phase. The spending was already planned in the Defence Investment Plan, which set out £63.6bn over the next four years for the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. Of that total, £47bn is allocated to operating nuclear submarines, continuing Dreadnought work, considering a future replacement, building other submarines and upgrading naval docks and manufacturing facilities.

The government says nuclear-defence spending supports about 47,000 British jobs and forecasts that figure will rise to 65,000 by 2030, including 22,000 apprenticeships by 2035. Burnham said the Barrow-built submarines would protect Britain while jobs and apprenticeships could change lives in the town and elsewhere.

Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge welcomed progress on the programme but accused Burnham of failing to commit to fully funding defence. Burnham has said he wants to meet the UK’s defence-spending commitments, including a Nato target of 3.5% of national income by 2035.