The review recommends fixing the Dreadnought class end-of-service date in the mid-2050s and defining its successor requirement during the current Parliament. Nuclear-submarine planning must begin decades before the boats retire. Roughly six Parliaments separate the 2025 review from the proposed replacement date. That horizon is difficult because previous governments struggled to keep far shorter ship and aircraft programs stable from one election to the next. The recommendation therefore depends on keeping a replacement programme consistent through several changes of government.
Notable Point · 3:07:39-3:08:47
Planning the post-Dreadnought deterrent across six Parliaments
The 2025 review asks the current Parliament to begin defining a deterrent successor needed after the Dreadnought class retires in the mid-2050s, exposing the need for durable policy across many elections.