AUKUS: Nuclear Submarines
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Investment Plan, published on 30 June 2026, page 30, by when will he make a decision on the size of the SSN-AUKUS class.
Answered by Luke Pollard
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.
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