AUKUS only works if Britain’s submarine town does
Barrow-in-Furness must deliver subs at an unprecedented pace, as it repairs decades of underinvestment in housing, skills and public services.
Barrow-in-Furness, a small town in England, holds significant importance due to its role in AUKUS, a security partnership between the U.S., U.K., and Australia. The town's shipyards are responsible for building the next generation of nuclear-powered submarines for Britain's Dreadnought nuclear deterrent program and the AUKUS fleet.
However, delays in Barrow's production could potentially strain Britain's national security and test the central promise of AUKUS. With about 13,500 people employed at the shipyard, representing one-third of Barrow's working-age population, the task of expanding the workforce by 3,000 in 18 months is no small feat. The town's regeneration challenge also has a wider significance, as achieving its goals could position Barrow as the center of a British power revival in a post-Empire, post-EU era.
Simon Case, former U.K. Cabinet Secretary, emphasizes that Barrow's success is "too big to fail." The town needs to provide thousands of new houses, higher education institutions, and an urban transformation to support the increased submarine production. Additionally, Barrow must address its social challenges, such as high levels of unemployment, obesity, drug and alcohol misuse, and low life satisfaction.
While BAE Systems provides high-paying jobs, the town's remoteness and lack of attraction as a place to live make it difficult to attract high-technology graduates and skilled workers needed for the SSN-AUKUS program.
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