Faslane dry docks and research ship to be built in UK, says chancellor
bbc.com • • world
Key Points:
- The UK government will award £6bn contracts to a UK-based shipbuilder to construct three floating dry docks for maintaining the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered submarine fleet at Faslane, emphasizing national security and domestic industrial growth.
- A UK-only bidding process will determine the builder, with Navantia UK, which owns shipyards in Fife and Belfast, considered the frontrunner amid competition from Cammell Laird and Babcock.
- The investment is part of a broader £15bn upgrade of the Faslane naval base over the next decade, enhancing submarine maintenance capabilities beyond the current single shiplift system.
- Chancellor John Healey also pledged £115m to build a new marine research vessel to replace the Cefas Endeavour, with potential bidders including Ferguson shipyard, Navantia, and Cammell Laird.
- The floating dry docks, unlike land-based equivalents, can be submerged and towed, allowing flexible maintenance of submarines, with the last UK-built dock dating back to the 1960s.
