Are Britain’s nuclear subs slipping below the waves?

applause, before its 7,400-tonne bulk slipped into the water for the first
time. The launch of the Royal Navy’s fifth Astute submarine was a
milestone for the defence giant BAE Systems, which builds the boats at its
cavernous factory at Barrow-in-Furness on the Cumbrian coast. But despite
the fanfare, it was also a reminder of the growing risks that haunt this
most sensitive corner of the defence industry. HMS Anson, a hunter-killer
submarine powered by a nuclear reactor but armed with conventional weapons,
has been almost a decade in the making. It is years late and is still some
way off being ready. It may have to undergo years of trials before being
accepted into service. Its launch was delayed by problems with HMS
Audacious, the fourth Astute. It sat in the water for almost three years
before leaving Barrow last year. Delays to the Astutes illustrate the
challenges facing Britain’s submarine enterprise, the biggest cost to the
Ministry of Defence. Crucially, they point to the risks around the
successor programme: the construction of four Trident nuclear warhead-armed
submarines, Dreadnoughts, which are needed to sustain the UK’s policy of
continuous at-sea deterrent. Those risks range from delays refuelling the
ageing Vanguard submarines they will eventually replace, to setbacks and
cost overruns on vital infrastructure projects, to management churn and
weak scrutiny. They suggest that without drastic action, the MoD may have
to adjust its expectations for the £41 billion project, particularly the
assumption that the first boat will be in service in the “early 2030s”.

Times 25th April 2021

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/are-britains-nuclear-subs-slipping-below-the-waves-3zt7658zq