Policy paper

Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper

Delivering the UK’s Nuclear Deterrent as a National Endeavour.

• From: Ministry of Defence and Defence Nuclear Organisation
• Published: 25 March 2024
• Last updated: 19 April 2024 — See all updates

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

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Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper: Delivering the UK’s Nuclear Deterrent as a National Endeavour

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-4782-3, CP 1058

PDF, 1.69 MB, 42 pages

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Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper: Delivering the UK’s Nuclear Deterrent as a National Endeavour (Welsh)

PDF, 1.64 MB, 42 pages

Details

Day in, day out, right across the country and beyond, thousands of people in the public sector, military and industry are working together to achieve our shared mission: to deliver capabilities, deter the threat and protect the nation.

To sustain the deterrent for as long as it is needed, we are making the following commitments:

• we are investing £31 billion (with a £10 billion contingency) in the new Dreadnought Class SSBNs with the first boat due on patrol in the early 2030s
• we are developing a replacement UK sovereign warhead, while maintaining our existing stockpile
• we are recapitalising critical elements of our infrastructure to modernise our naval bases and manufacturing processes, supporting growth as we anticipate future fleet needs and weapons requirements
• we are nearing completion of the UK’s fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear powered Astute Class SSNs and have begun designing the next generation of attack submarine, SSN-AUKUS
• we are enabling industry to plan for the future by working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to coordinate our defence activity with investment in the civil nuclear sector, itself critical to our energy security
• we are enhancing nuclear power generation over the long term by investing in nuclear technology, with many parallels to the investments needed to support the UK’s Energy Security Plan
• we are working with industry partners to safeguard our supply chains for the future
• we are investing in Barrow-in-Furness as the home of nuclear submarine building in the UK, in recognition of its criticality to the nation’s security.

These are some of the largest and most complex programmes ever seen. They require unique cutting-edge technology and world-leading expertise in science, engineering and manufacturing.

In order to deliver all of this:

• we continue to have a close partnership with our most important ally, the US, facilitated by the longstanding 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement and the 1958 Mutual Defense Agreement for broader cooperation and exchange
• we continue our important relationship with France, our European nuclear ally, cooperating on technology and nuclear deterrence challenges. This includes our collaboration under the 2010 TEUTATES Treaty, through which we share research facilities
• we are strengthening our partnerships with industry, particularly our prime suppliers Babcock International, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd, with a focus on delivery to schedule
• we have brought AWE, which designs, manufactures and ensures the safety and efficacy of our warheads, back into the Ministry of Defence as a wholly owned arm’s length body and have acquired Sheffield Forgemasters, who provide specialised steel, into public ownership, enabling closer alignment with our requirements
• together with DESNZ, we launched the Nuclear Skills Taskforce (NSTF) to work with industry, academia and the education sector to increase the numbers of apprentices, graduates, and PhDs across the sector – this will ensure we can access the right skills for nuclear, providing new economic opportunities for thousands of people across the country
• we will maintain the scientific and engineering expertise that ensures UK defence nuclear programmes fully comply with our international obligations and develop our ability to counter nuclear proliferation, prevent nuclear terrorism, identify and deter nuclear test explosions and verify future arms control regimes
• we will enable industry to plan for the future by working with DESNZ to coordinate our defence activity with investment in the civil nuclear sector, critical to our energy security

Alongside investment in civil nuclear for our energy security needs, this breadth of activity amounts to a new era for the nuclear sector in the UK.

All these measures represent a significant undertaking and investment by the UK government and industry, with an enduring commitment for the decades ahead. This will generate economic opportunity across our UK supply chain, including submarine construction at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness, submarine maintenance at the Babcock International site in Devonport, nuclear reactor development at Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd in Derby and warhead design and manufacture at AWE in Berkshire.

This Command Paper sets out, for the first time, what it takes to deliver the nuclear deterrent. It reaffirms our commitment to maintaining global stability, working with our allies including NATO, and reminds potential adversaries that we are ready to prevent coercion and deter aggression. It represents a commitment to enhance our industrial base, working in closer partnership with academia and business, and a promise that we will maximise economic opportunity and invest in our communities. It is also a call to action to everyone who contributes to safeguarding the security and prosperity of our nation by supporting the nuclear deterrent.

Published 25 March 2024
Last updated 19 April 2024 + show all updates

1. 19 April 2024

   Updated 'Defence Nuclear Enterprise Command Paper: Delivering the UK’s Nuclear Deterrent as a National Endeavour'

2. 25 March 2024

   First published.