AUDACIOUS Spin - You would think that the news of the construction of the Fleet Submarine AUDACIOUS was actual news with the bally ho that came with the news that MoD has signed the latest stage of the contract (valued at £1.2 billion) for the vessel.   If fact the long lead items for AUDACIOUS were ordered on 28^th August 2006 although the actual order was not placed until 21st May 2007.   The vessel was thus finally ordered when the Prime Minister Tony Blair was clearing his desk shortly before his resignation.   The AUDACIOUS will in fact halfway through the build programme as of December 2012 and cancellation is unthinkable – as would be the cancellation costs!!

The AUDACIOUS is in fact a Batch 2 ASTUTE and will have improved command, navigation and sonar systems using a shared computer environment for the different systems, common consoles and cabinets, and commercial "off-the-shelf" hardware and software, to reduce costs and improve maintainability.   These changes have been “back-fitted” to Boat 3, (ARTFUL) and the eventual aim is to “back-fit” the "Common Combat System" to Boats 1 and 2 (ASTUTE and AMBUSH).

More interesting – though received scant media coverage – was the news that the MoD confirmed that a further £1.5 billion has been committed to the remaining three submarines in the class.     This has enabled early build work to start on the next boat (ANSON) and long lead items to be ordered and bought for the as yet unnamed boats six and seven.   The go ahead for ANSON was in fact given on the 25^th  March 2010 when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister and about to fight a General Election in May that year.

The MoD also seemingly has forgotten the names announced for Boats 6 and 7 (AJAX and AGAMEMNON); and the statement quote

"This funding demonstrates our commitment not only to a key Royal Navy capability but also to the submarine industry in Barrow which will play a vital role in Astute for decades to come."    Unquote

is frankly fatuous.  The Coalition Government learned (at heavy cost to the taxpayer and the capability of the Royal Navy) that when messing about with shipbuilding contracts for the Carriers that cancellation is not really an option.

What we have is no more than a progress report on decisions already made and in hand and announcements such as this are really no more than the re-announcement of news which was a much vaunted “crime” of the previous administration.    It seems that the MoD treats the media (and by extension ourselves) as fools.   Let us hope they do not believe their own press releases.