The defence secretary reveals the new name of Britain’s submarines and emphasises the need for a deterrent
The ministry of defence rolled back the years today by revealing that the next set of its rather pricey submarines will use the same name that adorned the Royal Navy's first nuclear-powered sub 56 years ago.
Defence secretary Michael Fallon revealed that the Queen had approved the name of "Dreadnought" for the lead boat and class name of the Royal Navy’s new successor submarines. Construction of the new fleet started last month.
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It is a name that has been used nine times by the Royal Navy, including by one of ships that set sail with Sir Francis Drake to fend off the Spanish Armada in the 16th century.
Instead of reflecting on the historical significant of the name, Fallon took the opportunity to emphasise the importance of defending our shores.
He delivered a sombre warning that the UK can never know who might sail over and attack:
Every day our ballistic missile submarines are used to deter the most extreme threats to Britain’s security.
We cannot know what dangers we might face in the 2030s, 2040s and 2050s, so we are building the new "Dreadnought" class.
Along with increasing the defence budget to buy new ships, more planes, and armoured vehicles, this commitment shows we will never gamble with our security.