Future submarines

A new report from the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) has warned that the development of high-tech underwater drones and advances in sensor technology which will make the oceans “effectively transparent” could mean an end to the days when submarines can remain at sea undetected.

Spending to date on the programme to replace the submarines which carry the UK's Trident nuclear weapons has now reached a total of £1.24 billion, according to an annual progress report published by the Ministry of Defence.

The government is facing accusations that it has misled the public and the international community over the number of missiles which could be carried on the 'Successor' class Trident replacement submarines following the disclosure of details of a contract to build missile tubes for a new submarine.