LONDON: The UK government on Monday said it had awarded British defence group BAE Systems a contract to build nuclear-powered submarines.

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that BAE had been awarded a contract worth £1.5 billion ($2.0 billion, 1.7 billion euros) for delivery of the seventh Astute class submarine.

It had additionally won a £900-million contract for the next phase of the Dreadnought submarine programme. “This multi-billion-pound investment in our nuclear submarines shows our unwavering commitment to keeping the UK safe and secure from intensifying threats,” Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said in the statement.—AFP