Britain could double its number of attack submarines as part of a landmark defence pact with the US and Australia.
Rishi Sunak has unveiled plans for the Royal Navy to acquire new nuclear-powered submarines under the Aukus defence deal.
The agreement, first announced 18 months ago, is designed to help the Australians replace their ageing equipment - and is widely interpreted as a bid to curb China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
New submarines, based on British design, will be built in Australia, with delivery starting in the early 2040s.
Under the deal, the UK will also replace its current Astute Class vessels with new subs, with delivery starting in the late 2030s.
The new Navy vessels will be built by BAE systems and Rolls Royce, primarily in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, in a major boost to the UK defence industry.
It is understood that the UK’s existing seven-vessel fleet will be replaced, and a defence source suggested bosses could push to increase the size of the fleet from between 8 to 20 to deal with growing security threats.
Two Astute class submarines - which will be replaced under the plans - are still under construction.
In his first US trip as Prime Minister, Mr Sunak met President Joe Biden and Australian PM Anthony Albanese at Point Loma naval base in San Diego on Monday to finalise the Aukus defence pact.
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The PM said: “The AUKUS partnership, and the submarines we are building in British shipyards, are a tangible demonstration of our commitment to global security.
“This partnership was founded on the bedrock of our shared values and resolute focus on upholding stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
“And I am hugely pleased that the plans we have announced today will see pioneering British design expertise protect our people and our allies for generations to come.”
Speaking alongside President Biden and PM Albanese, Mr Sunak quoted American President John F Kennedy who spoke of a “higher purpose - the maintenance of freedom, peace and…security”.
He added: “We represent three allies who have stood shoulder to shoulder together for more than a century.
“Three peoples who have shed blood together in defence of our shared values.
“And three democracies that are coming together again to fulfil that higher purpose of maintaining freedom, peace, and security now and for generations to come.”
