HMS Dreadnought (Dreadnought-class submarine)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Dreadnought.

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Dreadnought
Ordered	July 2016
Builder	BAE Systems, Barrow-in-Furness, England
Laid down	20 March 2025
General characteristics
Class and type	Dreadnought-class submarine
Displacement	17,200 t (16,900 long tons; 19,000 short tons)
Length	153.6 metres (504 ft)
Beam	12.8 m (42 ft 0 in)
Draught	12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	Rolls-Royce PWR3 nuclear reactor, turbo-electric drive, pump-jet
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced; 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) submerged
Complement	130
Armament	4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes for: Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes 12 × ballistic missile tubes for: Lockheed Trident II D5 SLBMs

HMS Dreadnought is a Royal Navy nuclear-powered Trident ballistic missile-armed submarine that is currently under construction. ^[1] The lead boat of her class, she is being built in Barrow-in-Furness. On completion she will become the UK's largest ever submarine. ^[2]

Construction

The submarine was approved for order by the UK Parliament in July 2016. ^[3] Construction of Dreadnought began on 6 October 2016. ^{[2] [3]} In December 2021 it was announced that the submarine will feature Lockheed Martin navigation subsystems. ^[4] Other systems will include a new Thales Sonar 2076 system. ^[3] Much of the steel for the construction has been sourced from non-domestic sources. ^[5] In March 2021, it was announced that construction of the submarine had been delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[6] In May 2022, it was announced that construction had entered 'phase three' and that on completion, the submarine would leave the shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness to begin sea trials. ^[7]

On 14 December 2022, the pressure hull of the submarine was completed. ^[8] On 29 December 2022, the 12 ballistic missile tubes of Dreadnought, along with 36 tubes for the others in her class arrived in the UK from the US. ^{[9] [10]}

Her keel was formally laid by Sir Keir Starmer on 20 March 2025. ^[11]

References

1. Cahill, Helen (9 May 2022). "Dreadnought Submarine". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
2. Royal Navy (6 October 2016). "Building begins on new nuclear submarines". Royal Navy. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
3. "Dreadnought-Class Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarines". Naval Tech. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
4. "UK's Dreadnought-class submarines will feature Lockheed's navigation subsystems". Naval Today. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
5. Davies, Rob (31 March 2021). "Lack of British steel in Dreadnought nuclear subs underlines procurement failure". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
6. Sabbagh, Dan; Defence, Dan Sabbagh (4 February 2021). "Trident nuclear submarine replacement delayed by another year". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
7. "Barrow: Contracts of £2bn to build nuclear submarines". BBC News. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
8. "New British nuclear missile submarine reaches milestone". UK Defence Journal. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
9. "48 missile tubes for Dreadnought class submarines leave US for UK". Navy Recognition. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
10. "Construction of UK's Dreadnought-class submarine reaches significant milestone". Naval Today. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
11. NavyLookout (2025-03-20). "Keel laid for HMS Dreadnought – first of new class of ballistic missile submarines for the Royal Navy | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. Retrieved 2025-03-20.