Britain says AUKUS is now about delivery. After Washington completed its review, Defence Secretary John Healey met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Australia’s Richard Marles at the Pentagon today, signalling a shift from planning to execution. The UK framed the move as “full steam ahead” on capability, with partners aligning timelines and responsibilities.

Money and manufacturing are the hinge. The UK has committed £6 billion in the past 18 months, with spend focused on Barrow‑in‑Furness and Rolls‑Royce’s Raynesway site in Derby to hit a target build cadence of one SSN‑AUKUS boat roughly every 18 months. Officials describe SSN‑AUKUS as the most capable attack submarine the Royal Navy has operated.

The jobs signal is clear. The Ministry of Defence says more than 3,000 new nuclear roles have been added since July 2024, with a further 4,400 construction jobs expected over the coming years. SSN‑AUKUS is slated to create over 7,000 new posts and support about 21,000 roles at peak production. Average nuclear‑sector pay sits around £45,500-about 20% above the UK average.

Zooming out, the wider Defence Nuclear Enterprise is projected to support around 65,000 UK jobs by 2030, backed by a supply chain of more than 3,000 businesses. For Barrow and Derbyshire in particular, this is long‑run, skilled employment anchored by multi‑decade contracts rather than short‑term project work.

Derby’s reactor hub is scaling fast. Rolls‑Royce is doubling Raynesway and has brought in Balfour Beatty as construction partner, while the MoD’s £9 billion Unity contract underpins reactor design, build and support. Australia has previously committed long‑term funding to the UK programme, reinforcing the shared industrial base tied to AUKUS.

Policy now points to a larger fleet. The Strategic Defence Review confirmed plans for up to 12 SSN‑AUKUS boats replacing today’s Astute class from the late 2030s, with employment in the programme peaking around 21,000. For investors and suppliers, that implies a durable order book and a predictable training pipeline.

There are execution risks. The U.S. review flagged constraints in American submarine yards, and the UK’s workforce ramp in Barrow and Derby must match the ambition on cadence. The delivery plan leans on accelerating training and retention across welders, systems engineers and reactor specialists.

For SMEs, the openings run from high‑integrity valves and castings to controls, cabling and software. Government’s £200 million Barrow Transformation Fund, plus targeted skills and housing support, is designed to make local capacity stick-useful for small suppliers weighing multi‑year investment in people and kit.

The bilateral ‘Geelong Treaty’ signed in July formalises 50 years of UK‑Australia cooperation on SSN‑AUKUS design, build and sustainment, including a rotational UK submarine presence at HMAS Stirling. That framework gives legal and practical shape to the supply‑chain integration both countries now need.

Bottom line for readers: defence spending is doubling as industrial policy. AUKUS ties together skilled jobs, higher‑than‑average wages and export potential-Whitehall touts up to £20 billion-clustered in the North West and Midlands. Delivery pace will decide how much of that promise shows up in local pay packets.