The UK government has committed £8.4 billion to the next phase of its Dreadnought Class nuclear submarine programme, supporting construction of the four vessels that will form the backbone of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.

The investment will support the continued development and construction of the submarines and is expected to sustain thousands of jobs and apprenticeships across the UK. The government said the wider Defence Nuclear Enterprise currently supports around 47,000 jobs and more than 6,000 suppliers.

BAE Systems is set to receive £5.9 billion under the new contract, with the remaining funding going to companies across the wider supply chain. The defence contractor is responsible for building the four Dreadnought Class submarines at its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness.

The first submarine, HMS Dreadnought, is expected to complete its sea trials before entering Royal Navy service in the early 2030s. The government said the latest funding would help maintain progress on the programme and support efforts to deliver the vessels more efficiently.

The four submarines will replace the Royal Navy’s Vanguard Class fleet and continue the UK’s policy of maintaining a continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent.

The new funding is expected to generate opportunities for young people, with thousands of apprenticeships supported through the programme and its supply chain. The government said the investment would also encourage skills development and strengthen Britain’s industrial capacity in nuclear engineering and shipbuilding.

The Dreadnought programme is part of a broader increase in UK defence spending. The government has allocated more than £63 billion over four years to the country’s nuclear deterrent under its Defence Investment Plan.

That spending also covers the development of new conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United States. The UK announced in 2025 that it planned to build up to 12 SSN-AUKUS submarines as part of efforts to expand its undersea capabilities.

The latest investment comes as Britain seeks to maintain its nuclear deterrent while expanding domestic defence manufacturing. The government said the Dreadnought programme would provide long-term work for companies across the country and support economic activity in areas involved in submarine production.

BAE Systems said the new contract represented a major step in the construction programme and would support the continued development of the submarines and the industrial infrastructure needed to deliver them.

The Dreadnought programme remains one of the UK’s largest defence projects, involving BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and other major suppliers in the design, construction and propulsion of the future nuclear deterrent fleet.

Hundreds of migrants have been swimming from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in recent days, overwhelming border authorities and pushing reception facilities beyond their capacity.

Ceuta’s regional president, Juan Jesús Vivas, said more than 1,500 migrants, including adults and minors, had reached the territory by sea in recent days. The scale of arrivals has created an exceptional situation for the small Spanish enclave on Africa’s northern coast.

“Reception centres are collapsed and saturated,” Vivas told reporters, calling for additional support as authorities struggle to accommodate the new arrivals.

Spanish Civil Guard units, Maritime Rescue teams and the Red Cross have been using boats to assist migrants in the water and bring them safely to Ceuta. With reception facilities full, hundreds of people have been sleeping outside the main migrant centre.

Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska acknowledged that authorities were facing an “extraordinary, exceptional situation” but said the government was responding with resources already permanently deployed in Ceuta. He also praised Morocco for its cooperation in attempting to prevent irregular departures.

Most of those making the crossing are believed to be Moroccan nationals, along with some Algerians who had been living in Morocco while seeking a route into Europe, according to activists and local organisations.

The reason behind the sudden rise in crossings remains unclear. Summer weather often leads to an increase in attempts to reach Ceuta by sea, but local officials consider the current numbers unusually high.

The route is dangerous. Several migrants have died or gone missing during recent attempts to swim around the border barrier separating Morocco and Ceuta. Local reports said at least four people died in one recent incident, while others were feared missing.

The latest arrivals have also drawn attention to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling issued in July. The court ruled that migrants arriving by sea cannot be subjected to immediate returns to Morocco without the legal procedures and safeguards required under Spanish law. The ruling distinguishes sea arrivals from people intercepted after crossing land barriers.

Vivas criticised the decision, arguing that it could make the maritime route more attractive. Some migration activists have questioned that explanation, saying most migrants would be unlikely to know about a recent court ruling.

Omar Naji, president of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights in Eastern Morocco, linked the timing of the influx to wider diplomatic developments involving Spain, Morocco and Algeria. He compared the situation with the major Ceuta migration crisis of May 2021, when thousands crossed into the enclave within days.

The latest surge has placed fresh pressure on Spanish authorities and raised concerns over accommodation, rescue operations and the safety of migrants attempting the perilous sea crossing.