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Feature 1 | SUBMARINES
Astute Boat 4+ programme puts focus
on cost reduction
In May last year, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the long-awaited
go-ahead for BAE Systems to start the construction of the fourth Astute-
class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN).
L
ast year the UK MoD also revealed A follow-on contract award, for which and transform the UK submarine industry
that its new SSN would be named negotiations are expected to complete in late over the coming years’. Manufacture work
Audacious. However, it only 2008, will cover the balance of construction, at BAE Systems’ Barrow facility, which
sanctioned a limited £200 million contract integration, commissioning, and trials. The had been awaiting the green light to start
to cover initial manufacture work, deferring ceiling price for Boat 4 is estimated to be in construction activities for several months,
a commitment to a whole-boat price until the region of £900 million. started almost immediately.
an ongoing programme of work to drive Confirming the start of construction The funds released for what the MoD
down Astute manufacture costs has further for Boat 4, the MoD said the contract characterises as ‘initial build work’ comes
matured. demonstrated its ‘determination to develop on top of orders for long lead items already
placed to sustain critical parts of the UK
submarine supply chain. It is understood
that the long lead contracts placed prior to
May 2007 in fact aggregated to about 35%
of the overall cost of Audacious.
According to Rear Admiral Andrew
Mathews, the MoD’s director general,
submarines, the MoD now has a plan
‘which will see new submarines being
delivered at a regular “drumbeat” from
2008 right through to 2030. And we have
identified a clear evolutionary path that
sets out how we will continue to evolve
the Astute design and then bring that
experience forward into the Successor
submarine programme.’
Indeed, the procurement of Astute
Boat 4 should certainly not be viewed in
isolation. Rather, it is the first step in a
joint effort between the MoD and industry
to attack costs over the rest of the Astute
SSN build programme, currently planned
at seven boats. Indeed, BAE Systems and
its key suppliers have already managed to
rein in the anticipated unit production cost
of Boat 4, which had at one time spiralled
to around £1.2 billion.
The MoD says innovation is required
in the hull, machinery, and electrical
aspects of the Astute design, including
secondary propulsion plant, ship service
equipments, electrical systems, and
marine engineering architecture, in order
to bring down costs.
14 Warship Technology May 2008
WT May 08 - p14+16+17.indd 14 23/04/2008 16:10:24
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