Around 4,000 people are employed in the city at the company’s Raynesway site
Rolls-Royce supplies power plants for the Dreadnought submarine(Image: Royal Navy)
Nuclear reactor cores manufactured in Derby will power four new Dreadnought submarines which have been confirmed by the Government in a new £8.4 billion defence investment.
Defence nuclear supports around 4,000 jobs in Derby, centred on Rolls-Royce Submarines at Raynesway. The company designs, manufactures and supports the systems that power the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines.
The four Dreadnought submarines will replace the Royal Navy’s existing Vanguard class, which carries Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent. The latest contract package begins delivery phase four of the programme.
HMS Dreadnought will complete sea trials and prepare to enter service in the early 2030s. HMS Valiant will reach sea trials, while the third and fourth submarines continue through construction.
Of the £8.4 billion, £5.9 billion has been awarded to BAE Systems, which puts the submarines together at its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, and £2.5 billion will support the wider supply chain.
The package is separate from the eight-year, £9 billion Unity contract awarded to Rolls-Royce Submarines in January 2025.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham in front of HMS Agamemnon during a visit to BAE Systems in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria(Image: Chris Furlong/PA Wire)
Derby MPs Catherine Atkinson and Baggy Shanker have welcomed the latest nuclear submarine announcement.
Ms Atkinson, MP for Derby North, said: “Keeping Britain safe is the first responsibility of government, and Derby’s contribution to that mission is something our whole city can be proud of.
“This next phase will help ensure Dreadnought is ready to protect the country for decades to come. It gives long-term confidence to the British firms and skilled workers delivering it.
“Derby is a city of makers. The work at Raynesway shows that our industrial heritage is still shaping Britain’s future.”
Mr Shanker, MP for Derby South, said: “Derby’s workforce has earned its reputation. The country depends on the work done at Raynesway, and this contract package gives the industry confidence to plan ahead.
“Across defence nuclear, 22,000 apprenticeships are planned by 2035. I want young people here in Derby to see that there is a route for them into a good career close to home.”