BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce have been awarded contracts worth more than £2bn to build the Royal Navy's largest ever submarines.
The move supports around 30,000 jobs and will mark the start of the third major phase of the future submarine nuclear deterrent programme – Dreadnought.
The investment is the latest financial commitment between the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.
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It is an initial investment within a planned overall total of nearly £10bn for the whole delivery phase.
Delivery Phase 3 (DP3) will see the first of four submarines, HMS Dreadnought, exit the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard to begin sea trials, laying the foundation to sustain the Continuous at Sea Deterrence (CASD) for as long as the international security situation makes it necessary.
Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin said: "The Dreadnought Class will be crucial to maintaining and safeguarding our national security, with the nuclear deterrent protecting every UK citizen from the most extreme threats, every minute of every day.
"Designed in the UK, built in the UK and supporting tens of thousands of jobs in the UK, the Dreadnought programme is a leading example of our commitment to defence manufacturing and will continue to boost British industry for decades to come."
Managing director, BAE Systems Submarines, Steve Timms, added: "We take great pride in designing and delivering one of the world’s most advanced engineering programmes and helping to protect national security.
"Today’s funding announcement allows us to maintain the Dreadnought programme’s progress and continue investing in the infrastructure and skills needed to deliver these highly complex submarines to the Royal Navy."
The Dreadnought Class will each will include 26.4 miles of pipework and more than 20,000 cables stretching 215 miles – further than traveling between London and Leeds.
President of Rolls-Royce Submarines, Steve Carlier said: "Since 1969, Rolls-Royce has proudly provided the nuclear power and expertise that keeps the UK’s continuous nuclear deterrent at sea.
"This latest contract is a welcome sign of the UK’s ongoing commitment to the Submarines Enterprise and all the jobs around the UK that support it."
The four Dreadnought-Class submarines, each the length of three Olympic swimming pools, will maintain the CASD, responsible for safeguarding our national security and way of life, as long as the international security situation makes it necessary.
First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key added: "We welcome the faith shown in the Royal Navy and our people that submarines remain the optimum means of securely deploying the independent nuclear deterrent.
"This investment will enable the transition from the Vanguard to Dreadnought-class submarines – an enormous challenge, and one we in the Royal Navy willingly accept.
"We have provided over fifty years of unbroken Continuous At Sea Deterrence and we will ensure that the Royal Navy provides the ultimate guarantee of security for the United Kingdom for the next five decades and beyond."
A £160m contract has also been awarded to Raytheon UK for the Dreadnought crew training at HM Naval Base Clyde.
Chief executive of Raytheon UK, Jeff Lewis said: "This contract is for a truly transformative submarine training solution and builds on the success that we have had to date in transforming the Royal Navy’s training and learning solutions.
"Our collaborative working culture and experience in managing large and complex training programmes will help equip the Royal Navy with a training capability that underpins the cornerstone of the UK’s strategic defence capability."
