Sign in Subscribe
Prime ministers

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Visits Northern Ireland to Strengthen UK's Naval Shipbuilding Ambitions

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

During his two-day visit to Northern Ireland, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet with businesses, communities, and political leaders to discuss the UK's naval shipbuilding ambitions. The meeting comes as the UK Ministry of Defence announced Team Resolute as the preferred bidder for a £1.6bn contract to develop and build the next generation of Royal Navy Solid Support Ships. These ships will provide global logistics and operational support to the Royal Navy, including the Maritime Strike Group on deployment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UK Ministry of Defence has announced Team Resolute as its preferred bidder for a £1.6bn contract to develop and build the next generation of Royal Navy Solid Support Ships, with the final assembly to take place at Harland & Wolff's shipyard in Belfast.
  • The project is expected to create 1,200 UK shipyard jobs and 800 further jobs across the UK supply chain.
  • The plans include commitments to provide 200 further education opportunities on graduate placements and apprentice programs, with Harland & Wolff's welding academy set to train 300 new UK welders for the program's duration.
  • Production is due to start in 2025, with all three support ships expected to be operational by 2032.
  • The Prime Minister will host an introductory meeting and informal discussions with party leaders from the DUP, Sinn Fein, Alliance, UUP, and SDLP, building on his recent attendance at the British Irish Council summit.
  • The summit discussed shared economic challenges and the UK government's response to support households throughout the winter via direct support.

Statistics:

  • £1.6bn: The value of the contract awarded to Team Resolute for the development and build of the next generation of Royal Navy Solid Support Ships.
  • 1,200: The number of UK shipyard jobs expected to be created through the project.
  • 800: The number of additional jobs expected to be created across the UK supply chain.
  • 200: The number of further education opportunities on graduate placements and apprentice programs that will be provided.
  • 300: The number of new UK welders that Harland & Wolff's welding academy will train for the program's duration.
  • 2025: The year in which production is due to start.
  • 2032: The year in which all three support ships are expected to be operational.

Sources:

  • [1] UK Ministry of Defence [exact source not provided in the text]
  • [2] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's statement on the visit to Northern Ireland, provided no exact source
  • [3] The British Irish Council summit report, exact source not provided in the text

Read more