nuclear-news

Babcock to provide dock for new Dreadnought nuclear subs: will they be carrying nuclear weapons?

By Ally McRoberts, Dunfermline Press 6th Jan 2026

PREPARATIONS are underway in Rosyth for a contingent docking facility to accommodate the next generation of nuclear submarines.

Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie had asked about the planned timescale for the work which will see the Dreadnought class berth at the yard during sea trials.

Rosyth will “bridge a gap” by offering a temporary home for the new subs, and last month the Ministry of Defence told local councillors they will not reveal if any of the boats that need repairs or maintenance will be carrying nuclear weapons……………………………………………..

“For operational security reasons further details cannot be released as to do so could be used to undermine the security and capability of our Armed Forces.”

……………………The Royal Navy’s new subs, the Dreadnought class, will be launched from Barrow-in-Furness towards the end of this decade.

The vessels will be maintained at Faslane, however the site on the Clyde won’t be ready until the mid 2030s……………………………

At last month’s South and West Fife area committee, Grant Reekie, head of radioactive waste and health physics at Babcock, had explained: “We have been asked to provide a contingent facility by the MoD to bridge a gap of submarines coming into service in late 2020s from 2029 through to mid 2030s when they will no longer be required as it will be done in Faslane.

………………At the same meeting the MoD told councillors they will not reveal if nuclear weapons will be aboard submarines being repaired at the yard.

They also confirmed that local residents would be given potassium iodate tablets to block radiation in the event of an emergency. https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/25743485.babcock-provide-dock-new-dreadnought-nuclear-subs/

January 9, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | UK, weapons and war