Bomb scare on Royal Navy nuclear submarine yard a hoax

The BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard was evacuated on April 10 after a bomb was reported to have been found on one of the Royal Navy nuclear submarines under construction at the yard.

An estimated 1,700 staff are believed to have been evacuated in the process.

“Following an extensive sweep of the Devonshire Dock Complex (DDC), including the four Astute class submarines in build, nothing suspicious was found,” BAE Systems said in a statement.

“We expect to be able to close the incident shortly.”

BAE Systems is responsible for the construction of Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered Astute-class attack submarines. In October 2016, the company also started work on the UK’s next generation of nuclear deterrent submarines. The new Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarines are scheduled to gradually replace the four Vanguard-class boats from the early 2030s.