THE UK Government has confirmed it will order the construction of five more British warships, which are to be built on the Clyde.
The Prime Minister is currently attending the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, which looks set to be dominated by the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As part of steps to strengthen security in the face of increased threats from Moscow, Sunak announced that defence manufacturer BAE systems has been awarded a £4.2 billion contract to build five more Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy, on top of the three already under construction.
Sunak said: “Russia’s actions put all of us at risk.
READ MORE: Ruth Davidson claims over £15,000 from House of Lords
“As we give the Ukrainian people the support they need, we are also harnessing the breadth and depth of UK expertise to protect ourselves and our allies.
“This includes building the next generation of British warships.”
Following the announcement, Scottish Affairs Committee Chair Pete Wishart MP said: “It is positive news that the UK Government has announced that BAE systems is to build frigates on the Clyde for the Royal Navy.
“Scotland is at the heart of the UK’s military shipbuilding. This contract continues the drumbeat of orders our Committee has been hearing that the Scottish defence sector needs to continue thriving.
“While the number of jobs being supported by this contract is very welcome for Scottish communities, it is important that Scottish defence SMEs are not overlooked in the supply chain.
“In our earlier report on the military landscape in Scotland, we were concerned that Scottish SMEs accounted for only 2.5% of the [Ministry of Defence's] total spending with SMEs.”
Meanwhile, Sunak declined to commit to a promise from his predecessor Liz Truss to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP, compared to the Nato minimum of 2.5%.
He downplayed concerns by some in the Tory party that ditching the target could be seen as a weakness by Putin.
Sunak told reporters travelling with him to Bali: “In terms of what does weaken Putin, I mean what he’s going to see from me is unequivocal condemnation of his actions at the G20.”
The PM also pointed to the UK’s “significant” financial and military assistance for Ukraine.
“I don’t think Putin or anyone else can look at that and say in any way that we’re weak”, he said.
The new ships will replace the fleet of 12 retiring Type 23 frigates.
The PM is preparing to confront Russia’s representative with allies at the summit, which starts on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Defence said the contract will support 1,700 jobs over the next decade at BAE Systems sites in Govan and Scotstoun, in Glasgow.
READ MORE: Professor claims Scots have 'ethnic' unemployment issue at conference
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “We are investing in our fleet to ensure our Royal Navy maintains its world-leading capability to protect and defend our nation at sea.
“Supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs in Scotland, and more across the wider UK supply chain, this contract will continue to boost our British shipbuilding industry, galvanising the very best of British engineering, manufacturing and design.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel