A windfall for the British engine manufacturer Rolls Royce. At the end of January, the British government awarded the company a contract for nuclear submarine reactors worth more than 10.6 billion euros. According to the British Ministry of Defense, the contract, known as “Unity”, is for eight years and covers the development, manufacture and maintenance of nuclear reactors to power the UK’s nuclear submarines.
Nuclear weapons on board
At the same time, the deal promotes the country’s security and economy, according to reports from London. British Defense Secretary John Healey sees this agreement as a commitment to the country’s nuclear deterrent potential “as our ultimate safeguard in a more dangerous world”.
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Just two days before the deal was announced, Healey had declared that a Russian spy ship had entered British waters twice in the previous weeks. In response, he authorized a submarine to surface nearby in one of the cases “to make it clear that we have been secretly monitoring its every move”.
The United Kingdom operates a fleet of four nuclear submarines. As the name suggests, these are equipped with nuclear propulsion, but also carry nuclear weapons on board. In line with the UK’s defense strategy, one of these submarines is constantly patrolling the world’s oceans to respond to any nuclear attack on the UK.
Drive for the economy too
The multi-billion euro deal guarantees thousands of jobs in the UK. It is estimated that this contract will not only secure around 4,000 jobs on the island, but will also create around 1,000 new jobs. According to Healey, this agreement shows that defense can also drive growth.
Back in 2023, Rolls Royce announced that it would almost double the size of its submarine factory in the English city of Derby. The reason for this was the high demand from the Royal Navy and the AUKUS defense partnership between the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia. This demand is likely to increase further as a result of the current order.
Steve Carlier, president of Rolls-Royce Submarines, said, according to the MoD statement: “This long-term contract enables us to invest in the right capabilities, equipment and facilities to play our part in protecting UK interests at home and abroad.”
