Astute SSN Program History
The Astute class had a checkered history since the first boat was launched in June 2007 by the Duchess of Cornwall, almost four years behind schedule. From the very beginning, the submarine was plagued by a series of mishaps, which delayed it entering service. Problems with its reactor and turbine, which kept it from reaching top speed, were followed by a serious leak due to a faulty pipe cap, and electronics faults. To old hands, all of this was normal. Distressing, but normal. Designing and building submarines is one of the largest programs, and most complex activities that the MoD and UK industry undertake.
In June 1991, approval to proceed with a program of studies at an estimated cost of £6m (91/92 prices) to define the Batch 2 Trafalgar Class Boat (now known as the Astute Class). This program of studies led to the issue of an invitation to tender for the design and build of an initial batch of 3 Astute Class SSNs and a further approval of £2m(92/93 prices) for contractor and DRA support to MOD during the tendering exercise in 1994.
In July 1994, as a result of concerns over the overall affordability of the program, Minister (Defence Procurement) and the Treasury approved a further £23.5m (at 93/94 prices) for risk reduction studies to be undertaken in parallel with the formal bid phase of the project. To maintain an effective competition, contracts for risk reduction work were awarded to both bidders, GEC Marconi and Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited. Invitations to tender for the first 3 submarines of the class were issued in July 1994 with competitive bids received in June 1995.
GEC-Marconi (now BAE Systems (Submarine Solutions)) was identified as MoD's preferred bidder in December 1995. The successful outcome of these studies led to EAC approval (Main Gate) in March 1997 to place a contract for the design, build and initial support of 3 Astute Class submarines with GEC Marconi. Following protracted negotiations, using the policy of No Acceptable Price No Contract (NAPNOC), a contract was placed with GEC-Marconi as the Prime Contractor and announced on 17 March 1997. The contract put in place the first whole boat, Prime Contract for UK nuclear powered submarines. The Prime Contract with GEC Marconi is for the design, build, and initial support of three submarines. The support task will be undertaken by the Prime Contractor for a total of eight submarine years (4.5 calendar years). The Prime Contract requires an integrated Tactical Weapons System with a performance at least as good as the Swiftsure & Trafalgar (S&T) Update Final Phase. As a risk reduction measure, the former MOD contracts for the Final Phase of the S&T Update have been novated into the Prime Contract for Astute.
The £2 billion Astute Prime Contract is for three next generation submarines to replace the Swiftsure Class. The Prime Contract is the first in the UK for a capital warship. This 'total systems' approach has made the incentives for industry much stronger and gives BAE Systems much broader boundaries for innovative design. There have been opportunities to give even greater focus to through-life support in line with the MoD's Smart Acquisition Policy. As a company, BAE Systems has considerable experience and expertise in providing on-going support to its customers.
In the centenary year of the RN's Submarine Service, HMS Astute, the first of a new class of attack submarines, was laid down in January 2000. The Astute class will be the Royal Navy's largest and most capable ever class of attack submarine, true multi-role platforms equipped with the Tomahawk missile. Astute was laid down at a ceremony attended by Baroness Symons, the Minister for Defence Procurement, and Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh, the First Sea Lord. The event was almost 100 years to the day after the start of work at Barrow on the HMS/m TB 1, popularly known in service as Holland 1, after her American designer, John Holland. However, just about the only points in common between the two vessels are their construction in Barrow and their ability to submerge.
Modular build techniques are being used on Astute and are bringing benefits in terms of build time and cost. Construction is carried out in the Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow, where all major pressure hull and modular elements are brought together for installation and integration. Work actually started on building Astute's massive pressure hull long before the system designs were complete. We have demonstrated concurrent engineering at its best in order to manage risk. The design is progressively released to production, so the possibility of major (and expensive) change further down the line is minimized.
Astute was to be launched in 2004, and was to enter service 18 months later following commissioning work and sea trials. Two other boats of this class - Ambush and Artful - will also be built at Barrow; work is due to start on Ambush in late 2001. The MOD is considering plans for a second batch of up to three more of the class. About 5,000 people will be employed at the shipyard and other main sub-contractors and in the supply chain at the peak of production work.
As at 31 March 2000, the Astute project was progressing satisfactorily and was on target to achieve a complete critical systems design review in May 2001 and complete whole boat design freeze review in January 2003. At that time it was anticipated that an order for a further 3 Astute class submarines will be placed in late 2002. This order will be subject to approval by the EAC, Ministers and Treasury. Estimated cost is £1.7bn.
Following BAE Systems' disclosure during 2002 of significant delay and projected cost overrun on the Astute program, the Department entered into discussions with the company about arrangements to address those difficulties. An Agreement between the Department and BAE Systems was reached in February 2003 which reduced risk (e.g. by separating the design, development, build and acceptance of the First of Class from the production of the second and third submarines), and placed new incentives on the company to perform. The Department agreed to increase its cash funding for Astute by around £430 million, against an increased contribution by the company of £250 million. The Department's contribution is primarily in recognition of the greater than expected difficulty in applying Computer Aided Design techniques to UK submarines. An amendment to the Astute contract to enact the Agreement was signed in December 2003 with boat 1 continuing on a revised Target Cost Incentive Fee arrangement with Boats 2 and 3 pending pricing.
In 2004 the Blair government's defense white paper stated that "We judge in the light of the reduced threat that an attack submarine fleet of 8 SSNs will be sufficient to meet the full range of tasks. This force size will be achieved when HMS SUPERB and TRAFALGAR pay-off as planned by December 2008. For the future, the introduction of the ASTUTE class submarines will represent a significant addition to the delivery of effects based warfare. Their increased weapons payload coupled with our investment in the latest generation of Tomahawk land attack missiles will give each submarine even greater flexible precision firepower for land attack." the Trafalgars had a planned life expectancy of 25 years.
Following the submission of a Review Note in 2007, a further £580m increase was agreed noting that while the program remained on schedule the design had matured requiring more materials. This was coupled with increased inflationary costs and some program throughput assumptions at the Barrow site not being borne out. All the program's anchor milestones have continued to be met and new project management disciplines have been implemented to achieve better planning and performance monitoring. This has included agreeing a Target Cost Incentive Fee with a maximum price for each of Boats 2 and 3.
In May 2007 the MoD placed a £200 million contract with British industry for the construction of a new nuclear powered attack submarine, to be named HMS Audacious. The 7,800 tonne boat, which will be equipped with the latest cruise missiles, is the fourth of the Astute class, the largest and most powerful attack submarines ever built in Britain for the Royal Navy. Assembly of the submarine is expected to start later this year. Lord Drayson, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support said: "Audacious will join the three other submarines of the Astute class already under construction at the BAE Systems shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. "Today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to the attack submarine program, as set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy. It also demonstrates our commitment to the Royal Navy, which needs these submarines to fulfil its duties around the globe. It demonstrates the best of British technology and our determination to develop and transform the UK Submarine industry over the coming years." This initial contract placed with BAE Systems Submarine Solutions ran until the end of March 2008 and covered initial build work on the submarine. The final contract placed will cover all aspects of the construction and completion of the submarine; it was under negotiation and due for finalization late in 2008. It came on top of orders for long-lead items that have already been placed with industry both to prepare the way for the construction of AUDACIOUS and to support the industrial infrastructure.
As of 2008 the Current Forecast in-service date [ISD] was May 2009, versus an Approved ISD at Main Gate of June 2005. At that time the Procurement Cost for the first three units was forecast at £3,806 M (outturn prices) [US$6,275 B at 2009 conversion rates ], versus an Approved Cost at Main Gate of £2,578 M, for a variation of £1,228 M. Sources of the cost increases include Increase in overall BAE Systems base costs (shipyard and sub contracts) reflecting a re-estimate as well as cost of delay (+£571m); Increase in risk provision owing to technical complexity (+£152m); and changed cost reflecting Astute Agreement of February 2003 (+£52m).
The program suffered a number of problems, which have caused delays of 47 months and cost overruns of £1,228 million as of 2008. The program suffered from unplanned cost growth in various areas, including increases of £164 million and £68 million in 2006-07 for materials and labor respectively. The contract negotiations were lengthy and delayed the in-service date by nine months at the beginning of the program. The contract was let under the philosophy of transferring as much risk as possible to industry, including full responsibility for both design and construction. Previously the Department had produced the design and then contracted with industry to deliver it. Given GEC Marconi's (and subsequently BAE Systems') lack of ship-building experience at the prime contractor level at that point, the Department were over-optimistic in their assessment of the contractor's capacity to deliver.
The contractor encountered difficulties with a computer aided design (CAD) tool which had not previously been used for ship-building, and the anticipated and contracted schedule and cost benefits did not materialize. The time delay between the construction of the Vanguard-class submarines and the beginning of the Astute program meant that key skills and submarine-building experience had been lost. The awarding of other ship-building work to the Barrow shipyard did not prove sufficient to maintain those skills specific to the design and construction of submarines.
Marking the "laying of the keel" for the fourth Astute boat, the Audacious, 24 March 2009, John Hutton, the Defense Secretary noted, with some understatement: "Submarines are extremely demanding engineering projects, and the Astute class is no exception." From a strategic point of view, many in the defense community would argue that the proposed fleet of seven Astute-class attack subs is the minimum effective force. Funding for the 5th-7th Astute class submarines was signed off on by the Treasury in 2004-05 after a hard fought battle by the MoD.
On 25 Mar 2010 BAE Systems welcomed news it had been given the go-ahead to begin constructing the fifth Astute class submarine and start the procurement process for a sixth vessel. It followed a statement made by UK Secretary of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth, in which he underlined the Government's continuing support for the Astute program. At that time the first of class Astute attack submarine was undertaking sea trials, the second (Ambush) was due to be launched later in 2010, and the third and fourth (Artful and Audacious) were both advanced in their construction. The Secretary of State said: "The Government has made a contractual commitment to proceed with the initial build of Astute Boat 5 and long lead procurement activities associated with Astute Boat 6, at a total cost of over £300M. This commitment is necessary now to ensure a consistent workload for the UK's submarine building industry. "This investment will allow the timely delivery of the Astute class boats, which are the most advanced attack submarines ever ordered for the Royal Navy. Furthermore, since the same industrial skills, experience and capability are necessary to deliver the successor deterrent submarine programme, this investment will play a part in ensuring a smooth transition from the Astute programme to the successor deterrent."
The Royal Navy's newest and largest attack submarine HMS Astute ran aground off Skye 22 October 2010, as the £1bn boat was being put through sea trials. Admiralty charts show submerged rocks in the area where the submarine has got into difficulty. After she was marooned on top of a sand bank, Cdr Andy Coles, 48, lost his command of the vessel as a result. Following the grounding of HMS Astute on 22 August 2010 and in accordance with standard procedures, the Naval Emergency Monitoring Team were mobilized and forward deployed but were not required. The reactor was deliberately shut down as a precautionary measure but once refloated, and following routine checks, a normal reactor start up was carried out to allow the submarine to proceed under her own nuclear power to Faslane. There was no requirement to use the operational berth in Loch Ewe or the former operational berth in Broadford Bay. The service inquiry into the incident highlighted a variety of causes, stating that correct procedures had not been followed. It also criticized the Officer of the Watch (OOW) for a “significant lack of appreciation” of the proximity of danger.
Violence erupted in 2011 when a seaman under the influence of alcohol entered the Astute control room and opened fire with an SA80 assault rifle, killing one officer and wounding another. As a result, Astute only entered service in May – the same month when Artful was launched.
The Guardian reported in March 2012 that Astute had been unable to reach its intended top speed of 29 knots because of a mismatch between the reactor and the turbine. The boat could not sprint to emergencies or away from an attack – an essential requirement for a hunter-killer boat. It would also be incapable of keeping pace with the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, which will be able to travel at more than 30 knots and need the submarines to protect them. Other problems that have affected the boat include:
- Flooding during a routine dive that led to Astute performing an emergency surfacing.
- Corrosion even though the boat is essentially new.
- The replacement or moving of computer circuit boards because they did not meet safety standards.
- Concern over the instruments monitoring the nuclear reactor because the wrong type of lead was used.
- Questions being raised about the quality and installation of other pieces of equipment.
- Concern reported among some crew members about the Astute's pioneering periscope, that does not allow officers to look at the surface "live".
The MoD’s 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) plan to save at least £879 million from the costs of the submarine program to 2021 under the Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme (SEPP) resulted in a Foundation Contract with BAES M-S being signed on 17 July 2013. This committed the company to a share of the total £900 million efficiency savings, through performance improvement, totaling at least £386 million over an 8-year period, of which a target of £195 million will fall to the Astute program. Across the period 17 July 2013 to 31 March 2015, the Astute program secured efficiencies that yielded financial savings of £92.8 million.
On 25 April 2013, HMS Astute achieved Operational Handover whereby the scheduling authority transferred from Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Submarine Production to the Royal Navy and is now a deployable submarine. Boat 2 – HMS Ambush on 26 June 2013 achieved Operational Handover whereby the scheduling authority transferred from Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Submarine Production to the Royal Navy and is now a deployable submarine.
Boat 3 – Artful was launched in May 2014 in a significantly better material state than Astute Boats 1 & 2; this resulted in a reduction in the length of the ‘in-water’ test and commissioning phase (from c.21 months to c.13 months). The submarine berthed alongside Wet Dock Quay at BAE Systems’ Shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness having successfully completed its initial dive in early October 2014. The next key event was the start-up & testing of the nuclear reactor, which was due to commence in early May 2015. The submarine was scheduled to Exit Barrow in early July 2015 before embarking on a focused sea trials package prior to Operational Handover in autumn 2015.
Boat 4 – Audacious construction and testing continued in the Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow-in-Furness. Diesel Generator Trials were successfully completed in June 2014. There had been schedule slippage on the Reactor Line (critical path) primarily as a result of a program clash between the reactor commissioning milestones of Primary Circuit Initial Fill in Audacious and Power Range Testing in Artful. Key initiatives within BAES’ Business Improvement Programme (PULSAR) have been successfully rolled out in Audacious and agreement was reached for the workforce to move to a more agile shift-working pattern. Further milestones included Primary Circuit Initial Fill (April 2015), Reactor Core Load (March 2016) and Launch (September 2016).
Boat 5 – Anson continued its ‘open outfit’ phase with all major pressure hull Units having been delivered to the Devonshire Dock Hall. Key milestones achieved during the period include completion of fabrication of the Aft End Construction, closure of the Unit 1/Unit 2 butt weld and completion of the first phase of Primary Circuit Loop build. Areas of focus included completion of the Unit 4/Unit 5 butt weld (April 2015), which was a major milestone of activity on the Reactor Line (critical path). A number of other butt closures were scheduled as the build transitions from the ‘open outfit’ to ‘closed outfit’ phase; Unit 3/Unit 4 (August 2015), Unit 7/Unit 8 (January 2016) and Unit 2/Unit 3 (April 2016). Boat 6 – Agamemnon’s Command Deck Module was delivered from Cammell Lairds and outfitted. Units were shipped from the New Assembly Shop to the Devonshire Dock Hall in readiness for butt completion. Boat 7 – Unnamed fabrication of main sub units progressed within the New Assembly Shop with the production of the Top Half Gear Case and assembly of the Main Machinery Raft delivered to baseline.
The build time and commissioning for each Astute-class submarine continued to reduce as lessons are learnt. For the first boat, HMS “Astute”, this took 170 months from the start of manufacture until operational handover to the Royal Navy. The second boat, HMS “Ambush”, achieved this in 149 months. Boat 3 (HMS Artful) exited Barrow in August 2015 and her good material state on sailing has enabled sea trials to progress well with minimal delays for emerging defects. Boat 5 negotiations for a full boat contract completed and work was underway to confirm full compliance with the newly established Single Source Contract Regulation. This complex program remained challenging but progress was being made to improve performance across all areas. The program schedule was reviewed during 2016 to ensure that boats 4, 5, 6 and 7 approvals and financial provision were achievable. The availability of resources, particularly in areas of highly skilled manufacturing staff continued to be challenging. It was likely that there will be some changes to the production schedule in the coming 18 months, and with this there was potential for some program cost growth; this was not expected to exceed 5%.
The MOD negotiated on 19 April 2017 a new £1.4 billion contract for the Royal Navy's new attack submarine, the sixth in a total fleet of seven, which will protect the UK's new aircraft carriers and nuclear deterrent. The submarine, named Agamemnon, is part of the Astute Class, the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever to enter service with the Royal Navy. The submarines are being built by BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, which employs around 8,000 people in its Submarines business, with thousands more working in the UK submarine supply chain.
On 28 April 2017 Audacious, the fourth of seven Astute-class attack submarines being built for the Royal Navy was launched at Barrow-in-Furness. The 97-metre long, 7,400 tonne nuclear-powered submarine emerged from the Devonshire Dock Hall the previous day. Today it was lowered into the dock water for the first time to begin the next phase of its test and commissioning program ahead of leaving Barrow for sea trials next year.
The fourth of the Royal Navy’s powerful new Astute class submarines – Audacious – achieved a significant milestone in January 2018 when she successfully completed her first dive. Known as a ‘trim and basin dive’, the event took place at BAE Systems' Devonshire Dock at Barrow-in-Furness. The operation saw the high tech submarine submerge fully under water for the first time, enabling the mixed Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems team on board to test many of the vessel’s systems.
As of February 2020, HMS Audacious, the fourth submarine in the range, was running 17 months behind schedule. The delivery of Audacious to the Faslane naval base near Helensburgh has been postponed from August 2019 to January 2021. This will delay subsequent boats and may lead to increased costs in future, the MoD warned. The Ministry of Defence refused to reveal what faults had caused the delay because of a risk of jeopardizing security and capability.
On 16 October 2019 MoD reported that collaboration with and investment in the lead supplier has been key in improving the operational management of the AUDACIOUS build. The key repair has successfully completed and AUDACIOUS has re-entered the normal commissioning process for a new build nuclear submarine. MOD stated that the remaining four boats (AUDACIOUS, ANSON, AGAMEMNON and AGINCOURT) are at varying stages of completion, with final delivery expected by November 2026. The delays to the build have not currently caused the program to overrun in cost terms given that the financial approval is at the program level (rather than by individual boat) and includes contingency. However, there has been a knock-on schedule delay to ANSON and further schedule challenges with the remaining build.
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