UK Chancellor announces three future floating docks for submarines

A computer-generated image of a potential future floating dock for UK submarines under Project Euston. (Navantia UK)

The UK government has announced plans to procure three new floating docks for the Royal Navy (RN) submarine service at HM Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde under Programme Euston.

Announced by HM Treasury in a press release on 28 September 2026, the floating dock contract will be tendered through a UK-only competition and built in UK shipyards. The facilities are intended to provide out-of-water maintenance capacity for the UK's current and future nuclear-powered submarines, supporting inspections, upgrades, and repairs, it added.

Programme Euston forms part of the wider Clyde Transformation Programme, which is intended to provide HMNB Clyde with infrastructure to support current and future Defence Nuclear Enterprise capabilities. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in July 2026 press release that GBP26 billion (USD34.4 billion) will be invested over 10 years in modernising HMNB Clyde, HMNB Devonport, and HMNB Portsmouth, including GBP15.1 billion allocated to Clyde.

The UK government is modernising its submarine fleet by spending GBP47 billion (USD62.1 billion) in its submarine build and infrastructure programmes in to financial year (FY) 2029/30 , according to the UK Defence Investment Plan (DIP), published on 30 June 2026. On 25 September, the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) sixth Astute-class attack submarine (SSN), HMS Agamemnon, departed BAE Systems' Barrow-in-Furness shipyard for sea trials before going into service. It is currently the largest operating British submarine class in service with a length of 97 m while displacing 7,400 tonnes.

Navantia UK said in a press release on 28 September that it intends to compete for Programme Euston, proposing to lead delivery from its shipyards at Methil in Fife and Belfast.