UK to invest further 285 million pounds in nuclear deterrent submarine design

LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) - The British government said on Wednesday it would provide 285 million pounds of funding for the next phase of design work for the costly and controversial renewal of its submarine-based Trident nuclear deterrent. BAE Systems will receive 257 million pounds of that investment, the Ministry of Defence said, while Babcock and Rolls-Royce have been awarded 22 million pounds and 6 million pounds respectively. The 20 billion pound cost of replacing the vessels carrying the Trident missiles -- four ageing Vanguard-class submarines -- is not universally popular at a time when the government is trying to cut back on spending. A final decision on the renewal is due to be taken in 2016, after this year's knife-edge national election. Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives favour a like-for-like replacement of the deterrent, while his junior coalition partner the Liberal Democrats believe the size of the fleet should be scaled down. The Scottish National Party, who could hold the balance of power following the May 7 election, oppose the renewal but earlier this month dropped a demand the opposition Labour party must also do so in return for their support. "The UK has been committed to a continuous at-sea deterrent for more than 45 years," Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement. "It is the responsibility of the British government to protect its citizens and provide this vital line of defence. It is therefore crucial that we continue to invest in the Successor programme to be ready for a final decision on renewal next year." The government, which has come under increasing pressure from former military chiefs and lawmakers in recent weeks to make a commitment to not cut defence spending after the election, expects to spend a total of 3.3 billion pounds on assessing the Successor programme ahead of next year's decision. Should the government give the go-ahead, BAE said it expects to start building the first Successor next year. The Vanguard submarines are due to be replaced from 2028. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)