BAE Systems in Barrow has been awarded two contracts worth £79m to begin work on the next generation of Royal Navy submarines.
The contracts - worth £47m and £32m - will allow the defence giant to begin preliminary work on the Successor programme.
The nuclear submarines are to replace the Vanguard Class from 2028 and more than a thousand BAE staff are currently working on the programme.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: "This £79m investment is another important milestone in our preparations to build these world-leading submarines. The current Vanguard Class of deterrent submarines perform a vital role in the defence of the UK and the replacement for this capability is of national importance."
"The Successor programme is supporting around 2,000 jobs, and up to 850 British businesses could benefit from the supply chain as we exploit the most modern technologies and employ a significant portion of the UK's engineers, project managers and technicians over the coming years."
The Successor submarines are set to be in service until the 2060s.
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