Rolls-Royce has secured its biggest ever deal with the Ministry of Defence, a £9 billion contract to power a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

The government said the eight-year Unity project for the Royal Navy will create more than 1,000 jobs and safeguard 4,000 other roles, mainly in Derby.

The project is the culmination of years of planning between the aerospace manufacturer and the MoD to bolster UK national security.

Steve Carlier, president of Rolls-Royce, said: “The Unity contract enables our business to work truly collaboratively with the Ministry of Defence, meeting the evolving needs of the UK Royal Navy, further improving reactor plant design, delivery, and in-service support, ensuring the continuing security of our nation at a time of global uncertainty.”

Rolls-Royce already has a long-standing relationship with the MoD, supporting the nuclear propulsion plant that provides power to the Royal Navy’s submarines.

John Healey, the UK defence secretary, said: “National security is a foundation of our government’s Plan for Change, and this is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which is our ultimate insurance policy in a more dangerous world.”

He added: “In line with our Plan for Change, this deal with Rolls-Royce, a historic British success story, will support high-skilled UK jobs who equip the thousands of submariners that keep us all safe.”

Rolls-Royce is currently developing both micro-reactors and small modular reactors as low carbon energy sources for big emitters, including the defence, space, and aviation industries.

In October the manufacturer sold a 20% stake of its SMR business to Czech energy company ČEZ Group, expanding outside of the UK to supply nuclear to Europe.