Barrow: BAE Systems to recruit 1,200 workers for MoD submarine plans

The majority of roles will be based at the site in Barrow-in-Furness

More than 1,000 jobs are being offered at BAE Systems working on the Royal Navy's new generation of submarines.

BAE secured contracts in May worth over £2bn, alongside Rolls-Royce, to begin the third major phase of the nuclear deterrent programme, Dreadnought.

The company is looking to hire about 1,200 people, with the majority based in Barrow, with work also supporting the Astute and SSNR programmes.

A spokesman said some 600 people had already joined the business this year.

"We have a large number of exciting career opportunities available across a wide range of roles, from steel-working and pipe-fitting to computer-aided design and project management," he said.

Dreadnought submarines will carry the UK's nuclear weapons and replace the Vanguard class which is currently operating.

Work will also support Royal Navy vessels already in service, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

At the time of the funding announcement, the then-defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin said the Dreadnought class would be "crucial to maintaining and safeguarding our national security".

Steve Timms, managing director of BAE Systems Submarines, said the funding allowed it to maintain the Dreadnought programme's progress and "continue investing in the infrastructure and skills needed to deliver these highly complex submarines to the Royal Navy".

Each submarine has 26.4 miles (42km) of pipework and more than 20,000 cables, which stretches a total of 215 miles (346km).

In August, the latest Astute submarine to be built by BAE Systems was officially commissioned into the Royal Navy during a ceremony at the Cumbria site.