The United Kingdom has awarded three UK companies a 4 billion pound ($4.9bn) contract to design and manufacture a nuclear-powered attack submarine as part of the country’s AUKUS programme with Australia and the United States.
The UK Ministry of Defence, in a statement on Sunday, said the contract with BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Babcock “represents a significant milestone for both the UK and the trilateral AUKUS programme as a whole”.
The new submarines, known as SSN-AUKUS, “will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated” by the Royal Navy and will “combine world-leading sensors, design and weaponry in one vessel”, it said.
The first of the submarines will be delivered into service in the UK in the late 2030s and the first Australian ones will follow in the early 2040s.
The plans for SSN-AUKUS were unveiled in March by the leaders of Australia, the UK and US and came as the three countries ramp up their efforts to counter China in the Asia Pacific region.
Credit: aljazeera.com
