A larger nuclear attack-submarine force still depends on industrial capacity. Britain has one yard producing these boats, which must finish seven Astute-class submarines while building five Dreadnought-type hulls. A successor attack-submarine class of seven to nine boats would then follow through the same production system. Orders become operational boats only through sustained shipyard throughput and a skilled workforce.
Notable Point · 39:03-39:30
Britain's nuclear-submarine shipyard limits fleet numbers
Britain's single nuclear-submarine construction yard constrains how quickly SSBNs, Astute-class boats, and a future attack-submarine class can be built, even when a larger fleet is desirable.