Simon Fell praised the AUKUS deal as 'huge news for Barrow.' 

The prime minister Rishi Sunak has announced a historic deal with Australia and the USA which will see British-designed nuclear-powered submarines used by the Australian Royal Navy after 18 months of deliberations. 

The next generation of Barrow-built hunter-killer submarines, SSNR, will be used by both the UK and Australian navies. 

Until the SSNR submarines are built, president Joe Biden announced that Australia will be buying up to five Virginia-class submarines from the US. 

Mr Fell said that the deal represented a 'major vote of confidence in the shipyard'.

“This is huge news for Barrow, and vitally important for the safety and security of our NATO allies," he said.

“What the women and men do in the shipyard in Barrow is second to none. I’ve long since maintained that, if asked to deliver, Barrow’s workforce will step up and deliver – as we always do.  

“I’m delighted that the Australian government have given this major vote of confidence in our workforce. My thanks also go to the Secretary of State for Defence, the PM, and the Foreign Secretary for helping to get this deal over the line.  

“The government and I have always backed Barrow’s shipyard, and this is further indication that our plan for Furness is working – backing the shipyard, and protecting local jobs.” 

The new SSN-Aukus submarines will be in operation for the Royal Navy by the late 2030s under the plan, and will also give Australia its first nuclear-powered capability.

The UK's submarines will mainly be built by BAE Systems in Barrow, and Rolls-Royce.

They will replace the Royal Navy's Astute-class boats when they enter into operation.

The plan could see the number of UK hunter-killer subs double.

Australian engineers and Australian Royal Navy officials will be working and learning in Barrow's shipyard for decades to come. They will be developing the means to create their own shipbuilding programme. 

Under the initial AUKUS deal, the United States and Great Britain agreed to provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo-Pacific region. 

The prime minister said the AUKUS partnership would deliver 'one of the most advanced' submarines 'the world has ever known', creating thousands of jobs in British shipyards. 

Mr Sunak said: "The Aukus partnership, and the submarines we are building in British shipyards, are a tangible demonstration of our commitment to global security.

"This partnership was founded on the bedrock of our shared values and resolute focus on upholding stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

"And I am hugely pleased that the plans we have announced today will see pioneering British design expertise protect our people and our allies for generations to come."