Advertisement

Tories commit to new fleet of next-gen submarines

A new Conservative government will invest in four new Trident nuclear missile submarines. Credit: PA

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has confirmed the Conservative manifesto will contain a guarantee to build a new fleet of successor ballistic missile submarines to replace the existing Vanguard fleet.

Writing in The Times, Mr Fallon confirmed the Tories commitment to the investment which was announced in March 2014 by his predecessor Philip Hammond.

Mr Fallon said: "We will retain the Trident continuous at sea nuclear deterrent to provide the ultimate guarantee of our safety."

Mr Fallon added that Ed Miliband's refusal to rule out a post-election deal with the SNP - who are committed to nuclear disarmament - would put the future of the deterrent in jeopardy.

Labour are committed to replacing the ageing fleet of Vanguard class submarines which carry the Trident missiles and maintaining the continuous at-sea deterrent, ensuring there is always one nuclear-armed vessel on patrol.