Core Messages

The first duty of government is “to protect the nation and help it prosper”. A strong naval submarine and warship building industrial base enables delivery of Continuously At Sea Deterrent (CASD) patrols as the ultimate guarantee of our national security against the most extreme risks from nuclear-armed adversaries. Unilateral disarmament cannot encourage other nations to disarm.

The Dreadnought Class submarine launched ballistic missile system is the most ‘cost effective’, value for money, affordable means of providing a UK’s minimum credible nuclear deterrent offering invulnerability, range, endurance, credibility.

Astute Class and SSN AUKUS submarines provide capability to undertake surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, land attack and other activity vital to sustaining the sea-lanes, protecting the deterrent and force projection.

The UK submarine programme makes a major contribution to UK prosperity and acts as a stimulus for skills acquisition by people of all ages Its significant social impact helps to implement HM Government’s Levelling-Up, Build Back Better, Town Deal and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy policies.

Around 31,000+ jobs depend on a UK submarine supply chain involving over 1,500 companies located in 421 towns and cities of the UK. It is therefore essential to invest in, road rail sea and air transport infrastructure to connect this strategic industrial network.

There is world class capability at Barrow shipyard, which is physically the largest of BAE SYSTEMS 50 UK sites. It employs the group’s largest number of skilled people..

KOFAC welcomes the July 2023 Defence Command Paper’s focus on exploring ways to incentivise industry to increase productivity through investment in new skills, digitisation, “AI” and automation.