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<p>As stated in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, our latest cost estimate
for manufacturing the four submarines of the Successor submarine programme is £31
billion, plus a contingency of £10 billion. This includes an assessment of the likely
inflation over the lifetime of the programme and the risks appropriate for a project
at this stage.</p><p>Once the new fleet of ballistic missile submarines comes into
service, we expect that the in-service costs of the UK's nuclear deterrent, which
include the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, basing and disposals, will
be similar to the current system, at around six per cent of the defence budget.</p><p>While
we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with
our US partners in a programme to extend their lifespan to the 2060s. The estimated
cost is around £250 million.</p>
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