Two people have been taken to hospital after a fire broke out at BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard in Cumbria, police said.
Cumbria Constabulary said the fire at the nuclear submarine shipyard started around 12.45am.
Police said there was “no nuclear risk”, but two people were taken to hospital for suspected smoke inhalation.
A statement read: “At this time there are no other casualties and everyone else has been evacuated from the Devonshire Dock Hall and are accounted for.”
Authorities advised people living nearby to “remain indoors whilst emergency services respond to the incident and keep doors and windows closed”.
The facility is home to Britain’s Astute-class submarines and Dreadnought programme. But what is the Dreadnought programme? Here is all we know:
What is the Dreadnought Programme?
As part of a programme to renew the UK's nuclear deterrent, four new Dreadnought class ballistic missile submarines will enter service in the 2030s. This is known as the Dreadnought Programme or the Dreadnought Alliance.
The Dreadnought Programme says it is ”of the utmost importance to the security of the Nation, indeed the world”.
It came about in 2016, after the government voted to keep and maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent beyond the 2030s. It was deemed that Trident, the existing nuclear deterrent, would need renewing in parts, and so Dreadnought was born. That vote in the House of Commons gave the green light for the programme to move forward into its manufacturing phase, which granted permission for the construction of four new Dreadnought class ballistic missile submarines over the next 15-20 years.
The Dreadnought programme is about the design, development and manufacturing of these submarines (SSBN) and once built, they will maintain the UK’s nuclear posture of Continuous At Sea Deterrence (CASD).
However, this is just for the submarines. A replacement of the nuclear warhead is not part of the Dreadnought programme after the government deferred a decision on replacement in 2010.
In February 2020, the government confirmed that a replacement programme is underway and a transition to the new warhead, which will be compatible with the Trident missile system, is expected from the late 2030s onwards.
When will the submarines be ready?
The submarines are being built in 16 units, grouped into three ‘mega units’ which experts say give the “optimal timeframe”.
Each Dreadnought submarine is being built by the BAE Systems Submarines in Barrow-in-Furness while their nuclear propulsion systems are being built by Rolls Royce Submarines in Derby.
The build phase for all four submarines will take approximately 20 years.
But when they enter service in the early 2030s, replacing the current Vanguard Class submarines, they will be the largest submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy.
The first will be ready for action by the early 2030s, followed by three more in the following years.
What makes the submarines different?
The Dreadnought submarines will be in a different class to anything used before by the Royal Navy.
As well as being the biggest, they also have been designed to boast a number of new features.
Each submarine will be 153.6 metres long – the approximate length of three Olympic swimming pools, and will be able to host 130 crew members at any one time.
It is the first Royal Navy submarine to be built with separate female crew quarters, toilets and washing facilities, and will also boast a state-of-the-art gym as well as new lighting controls which will allow the crew to simulate night and day – another first for a Royal Navy submarine.
Has the fire affected the submarines?
Police have said there is no major risk from the incident, but specific details on what has been affected by the blaze have not been made public yet.
Pictures of the incident appeared to show flames and black smoke emerging from the top of the site’s Devonshire Dock Hall building, which was evacuated.
