Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme - The Ministry of Defence is looking at radical changes to a deal that includes the next £15 bn wave of TRIDENT nuclear warhead carrying submarines as part of cost saving plans. Under this programme, listed defence groups BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Babcock International work in collaboration with the MoD to ensure £900m of cost savings to build and maintain submarines - they are the UK's biggest suppliers for the vessels, which include the seven ASTUTEs which are TOMAHAWK missile carriers and will include the four replacement TRIDENT submarines that are not expected until 2028. The MoD, as reported by the Independent, that the deal requires a commercial partner with no existing contractual ties to keep those savings on track.    The MoD claims this report is incorrect and certainly one half of the coalition any such move would seem to prejudge the decision to actually build TRIDENT replacements!

Thus the Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme could end up with a similar structure to the London 2012 Olympics, where a private sector team has successfully worked with the Olympic Delivery Authority to keep the Games within the revised construction budget.