Rolls-Royce Submarines has signed an eight-year Unity contract worth $11.2 billion with the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence that allows the UK Royal Navy to access research and technology, design, manufacture, and in-service support to maintain its fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
Steve Carlier, president of Rolls-Royce Submarines, said the deal strengthens his company’s partnership with the MoD and the Royal Navy and enhances its commitment to national security.
“The Unity contract enables our business to work truly collaboratively with the Ministry of Defence, meeting the evolving needs of the UK Royal Navy, further improving reactor plant design, delivery and in-service support, ensuring the continuing security of our nation at a time of global uncertainty,” he said.
The collaboration is expected to create approximately 1,000 new jobs within the company, particularly in Derby, Glasgow, and Cardiff. The recently opened office in Glasgow was established to support the Astute- and Dreadnought-class submarine programs and to meet the requirements set by the Royal Navy and the AUKUS trilateral security partnership.
British Defense Secretary John Healey highlighted the contract’s significance to the country’s economy and national security, stating, “National security is a foundation of our government’s Plan for Change, and this is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the U.K.’s nuclear deterrent, which is our ultimate insurance policy in a more dangerous world.”