Q&A · 3:50:40-3:50:58

The Royal Navy's recurring SSGN studies

British planners have repeatedly considered guided-missile variants of ballistic-missile submarine programmes without building one.

Dreadnought Class Submarines Guided Missile Submarines Resolution Class Ballistic Missile Submarines Royal Navy Vanguard Class Submarines

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Question

Has the Royal Navy ever considered building an SSGN?

Short answer

Yes; Resolution, Vanguard, and Dreadnought-related studies considered the idea, but Britain has never completed an SSGN.

Notes

A possible fifth Resolution-class boat is named as one occasion when Britain considered an SSGN. Similar discussions are said to have occurred around the Vanguard and Dreadnought programmes. None had produced an operational British SSGN.