First phase of work to begin on UK's new nuclear submarine says Portsmouth MP
THE next stage to approve Britain's so-called '˜Successor' submarine to replace the aging Vanguard-class nuclear missile will launch this year.
The news was broken by Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt.
The armed forces minister was pressed by Labour’s shadow secretary of state for defence to reveal the schedule of the UK’s newest nuclear deterrent.
Responding to the question, Ms Mordaunt said: ‘We expect to approve the next stage of the Successor submarine programme later in 2016.’
The news comes just days after the government awarded £201m to defence giant BAE Systems to develop the UK’s new class of submarines.
BAE builds submarines at its yard at Barrow-in-Furness.