British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the intentions of the country's authorities to direct efforts towards the development of the nuclear industry in both the civil and defense segments. The authorities also intend to allocate additional funds to ensure deterrence.
Rishi Sunak believes that domestic nuclear capability is vital for the national defense and energy security of the country. According to the estimates of the British government, the nuclear industry is growing at a high rate and is constantly in need of personnel. So, to meet this need, the country's authorities intend to deepen cooperation with private industrial companies, including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, EDF and Babcock, and intend to invest at least £763 million in the industry by 2030. These investments, according to the prime minister, will help the sector fill 40,000 new jobs by the end of the decade.
Special attention is also paid to the defense component of the industry. Sunak announced the allocation of more than £200 million for the development of shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness, where nuclear submarines are being built. Also, following the Prime Minister's statement, the British Ministry of Defense presented a Defence Nuclear Command Paper. Presenting it, the country's Defense Minister Grant Shapps said that the threats facing the UK and our allies are increasing in scale, complexity and diversity, which is why our nuclear deterrent is as important now as it has ever been.
The Defence Nuclear Command Paper sets out how the Government will continue to:
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Sustain the UK’s nuclear deterrent for as long as it is required - maintaining the current in-service Vanguard fleet and sovereign warhead, while progressing with the new Dreadnought Class submarines, bringing them into service in the early 2030s, as well as developing a new replacement sovereign warhead.
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Sustain the UK’s fleet of nuclear powered, conventionally armed, submarines – complete the build of the Astute class and design the next generation SSN-AUKUS fleet. This involves deep collaboration with our US and Australian partners under the ground-breaking AUKUS trilateral partnership.
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Recruit the skills of the future – with a clear plan to expand the nuclear workforce to meet our ambitions in this growing sector and develop targeted interventions to ensure we have the specialist skills required now and in future through a new nuclear skills plan.
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Renew and upgrade key infrastructure and Naval Bases – with an additional £3 billion invested across the Defence Nuclear Enterprise to 2024/25, supporting areas such as the construction of industrial infrastructure at Barrow, Derby and at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, as well as at His Majesty’s Naval Bases.
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Remain fully committed to fulfilling our international obligations - there is no change to our commitment to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and our non-proliferation and Treaty obligations.
Source - The UK Government
