BAE Systems was awarded $382 million in additional contract funding to finish the final phase of design work for a successor to the Royal Navy’s Vanguard-class submarines that carry the U.K.’s nuclear weapons, the company said on Wednesday.
The previous contracts for the project were awarded to BAE in 2012 for $488 million and $468 million to begin initial design work.
The latest contract will sustain over 1,400 jobs in the program. BAE is engaged with over 240 suppliers for the program as well.
Image: UK MoD
“The U.K. has been committed to a continuous at-sea deterrent for more than 45 years. This is because it is the responsibility of the British Government to protect its citizens and provide this vital line of defense. It is, therefore, crucial that we continue to invest in the Successor program to be ready for a final decision on renewal next year,” Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defence, said in a statement.
The Successor program recently passed a major design review and is halfway through its five-year Assessment Phase, the company said.
“Designing a new, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine is one of the most challenging engineering projects in the world today. The Successor program is the largest and most complex project we have ever faced. This funding will now allow us to mature the design over the next 12 months to enable us to start construction in 201,” Tony Johns, the managing director at BAE’s submarines branch, said.