Britain still plans new nuclear sub every eighteen months

The UK Ministry of Defence still intends to procure up to twelve SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered attack submarines and is investing in the industrial capacity needed to deliver a submarine approximately every eighteen months from the mid-2030s. Defence Minister Luke Pollard told Parliament that the programme is midway through detailed design and long-lead work, with a decision on final fleet numbers anticipated by 2028. The projected production rhythm depends on expansion at Barrow and across the British submarine supply chain while Dreadnought construction continues. The eighteen-month interval is a future industrial target, not the Royal Navy's present submarine delivery rate.