UK Royal Navy dock build question remains open ahead of Programme Euston tender
HMS Audacious arrives at HM Naval Base Clyde, joining the Royal Navy’s Submarine Flotilla. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown copyright)
The UK MoD’s Programme Euston floating dry dock tender has exposed a question about the UK’s naval industrial base: does Britain still have the depth to sustain its own deterrent without foreign intervention.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is working through a tender for floating dry docks that will be central to the Royal Navy’s (RN) nuclear submarine maintenance capacity at HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane). The programme is codenamed Programme Euston and formally the Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability (AFTDC).
As reported by The Sunday Times on 9 May 2026, while MoD policy dictates that infrastructure work performed within the boundaries of Faslane must be carried out by British companies, no such stipulation has been confirmed for the construction of the floating docks themselves. That ambiguity has drawn opposition from trade
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![STM’s European wins strengthen Turkey’s naval credibility on the continent]()
STM’s European wins strengthen Turkey’s naval credibility on the continent
Turkish defence and engineering company STM is attempting to challenge Europe’s established naval primes by winning contracts from Portugal to Pakistan – with a business model built on working in any shipyard in the world.
-
![First Canadian River-class destroyer to have its keel laid in June]()
First Canadian River-class destroyer to have its keel laid in June
Currently at the block fabrication and construction stage, the HMCS Fraser’s keel-laying ceremony is scheduled to take place next month as a step towards increasing the Royal Canadian Navy's anti-submarine and air defence capabilities.
-
![Australia’s Mogami-class frigates to feature RTX SeaRAM defence system]()
Australia’s Mogami-class frigates to feature RTX SeaRAM defence system
Under a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Raytheon will provide SeaRAM launchers, blast test vehicles and technical services for the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea3000 General Purpose Frigate programme.
