Tens of thousands of jobs will be supported – from Barrow to Bristol – and hundreds of businesses bolstered by the major tranche of defence investment.
Speaking in Barrow today, the Prime Minister said that the region is a case study for how taxpayer investment into major government projects should deliver long-term opportunities and rejuvenation for communities across the UK. He added that the government will set out more on how it will do that in the coming weeks, to ensure major projects deliver for more places like Barrow.
The investment is worth around £8.4 billion and will begin the fourth phase of the UK’s Dreadnought Class submarine programme, boosting the UK’s national security for generations and driving economic growth in every postcode. £5.9bn will go to BAE Systems, in Barrow, with £2.5bn supporting the wider supply chain.
The announcement came as the Prime Minister visited Barrow to see first-hand how the investment is transforming the local community, including through the 1,800 additional roles that have been created in Barrow under this government.
Delivery Phase 4 (DP4) will see HMS Dreadnought, the first of the four new nuclear deterrent submarines, complete its sea trials and be ready to enter service with the Royal Navy in the early 2030s.
This next phase follows significant progress at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow, the home of UK submarine building, where a 40% increase in productivity has been achieved over the last three years.
The new contract will also see boat two, HMS Valiant, reach sea trials, as well as fabrication and outfitting of the remaining two boats, Warspite and King George VI, which are in the early stages of construction.
The UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise currently supports around 47,000 British jobs – forecast to rise to 65,000 by 2030, including 22,000 apprenticeships by 2035 – and a supply chain of more than 6,000 UK-based companies, demonstrating how Government procurement can change the livelihoods of thousands of families when invested back into the UK.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "Keeping this country safe is the first responsibility of any government - but security is not only about what we build, it is about who builds it, and who benefits from it.
"The submarines produced in Barrow will protect Britain for decades to come, and the 47,000 jobs and apprenticeships will change lives both in this town and in dozens of places like it.
"British money, spent on British workers, British firms and British skills, in the places that were written off for forty years. To every young person across the country, I want you to know that there is a path for you into a reindustrialised Britain, and it starts with the apprenticeships we are funding through this investment today."
During the visit, the Prime Minister also unveiled a new apprenticeship scheme designed to help young people in the Northwest of England access skilled employment opportunities.
The trailblazing initiative will help local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the local defence supply chain to recruit and train 30 apprentices across the next three years and will use the successful apprenticeship model set up by BAE Systems in the region.
It is an example of how the government is including opportunities for young people in its approach to procurement and paves the way for more schemes to help those who miss out on their first choice apprenticeships – delivering growth and prosperity for local communities across the UK.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Our nuclear-armed submarines are essential to keeping the UK secure, acting as the ultimate deterrent to our adversaries in an increasingly dangerous world.
“This milestone investment breathes new life into Barrow’s historic traditions and secures our commitment to deliver Dreadnought Class submarines by backing British industry.
“Supporting thousands of skilled, local jobs, we are fusing Barrow’s proud heritage with modern technology to build our security for the future, supporting the next generation to keep our country safe as their parents and grandparents did.”
The four-boat Dreadnought Class programme will replace the existing Barrow-built Vanguard fleet, ensuring continuation of the UK’s critical Continuous at Sea Deterrent capability. They will be the biggest, most powerful and technically advanced submarines ever built for the Royal Navy.
Alex McMillan, Submarine Production Alliance Managing Director, said: "DP4 is a major milestone for the Dreadnought programme because it takes the first boat right through into ready for service and the second boat ready for exit. The economic benefits of DP4 will be widely felt throughout the UK. There are tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs in the UK today working in Dreadnought, and these will continue for several more years with this funding that we've now received.
"This contract will act as the bedrock for the UK's Continuous At Sea Deterrent. It sends a signal to both our allies and our adversaries that we are here in the long run in terms of a nuclear deterrent."
The Dreadnought programme supports approximately 30,000 jobs across the country, with more than 7,000 people currently working on it at BAE Systems alone.
Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive, said: "The Dreadnought programme is of vital strategic importance to the UK, underpinning the security of our nation and our allies for decades to come.
“Its delivery depends on the strength of our national industrial base, with thousands of skilled workers right across the country playing their part in the mission to deliver this critical capability to the Royal Navy."
In September 2025, His Majesty King Charles III visited Barrow-in-Furness to bestow Royal Port status on the town, recognising the contribution it makes to UK defence. That contribution continues to grow; £1bn has been invested in the BAE Systems Submarines site and its workforce has expanded from 11,000 to approximately 16,000 over the past four years.
Today’s announcements demonstrate the government’s continued commitment to delivering on the Strategic Defence Review and maintaining its nuclear deterrent under the nuclear triple lock.