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Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Thursday, 2 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Monday, 13 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Nuclear Submarines: Procurement

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, page 30, how many SSN-A nuclear powered, conventionally armed attack submarines does he currently plan to order and build.

Answer

As set out in the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), we will procure up to 12 SSN-AUKUS submarines. A decision on exact hull numbers does not need to be taken at this stage.

The programme is currently midway through the Detailed Design and Long Lead (D2L2) phase and we anticipate that the number of submarines will be confirmed before the end of this phase in 2028.

Through the DIP, the Government has made the investments necessary to establish the industrial capacity required to ultimately deliver a submarine every 18 months from the mid-2030s to ensure we can deliver an expanded SSN force.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
15522
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Procurement Nuclear submarines
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk