
The United Kingdom awarded contracts worth $4.9 billion total to three British companies to design and manufacture the future SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered attack submarines. The U.K. Ministry of Defense signed the Detailed Design and Long Leads (D2L2) phase of work on Oct. 1 with BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Babcock to “progress the program through the design, prototyping and purchase of main long lead components for the first U.K. submarines,” the ministry said in a statement. This means construction for the U.K.…