MOD lets ASTUTE Class crew training contract

The UK Ministry of Defence, in the largest award made at DSEi 2001 so far, has awarded the UK-based FAST consortium a 30-year contract worth about £300 million to train crewmen for the Royal Navy's latest Astute class attack submarines. Should further Astute class boats be ordered, the Astute Class Training Service (ACTS) contract could be extended to run for 40 years.

The MoD contract has been awarded under the Private Finance Initiative. The FAST consortium is composed of AMS (a joint venture company owned by BAE Systems and Finmeccanica Spa of Italy), CAE Inc of Canada and Flagship (a joint venture company owned by BAE Systems, Vosper Thornycroft and Johnson Controls of the US).

FAST will construct a new training centre at the Faslane submarine base, which will be the home-port for the entire class. The centre will have advanced training equipment and simulators operated by highly-trained instructors.

Defence Procurement Minister Lord Bach said: "The Astute Class Training Service is the biggest of its type in the Royal Navy and mirrors the progress we have made in using contractors to secure the best and most cost-effective training for RAF aircrew and Army armoured vehicle crews. This new centre will turn out fully-trained crews, ready to take the Astute class boats into operational service from 2005 onwards."

Construction of the largest and most powerful attack submarines built for the Royal Navy to date, is taking place at the Barrow shipyard. The first boat, HMS Astute, is being assembled and steel is being cut for the second of class, HMS Ambush. The MoD is also negotiating a £10 million contract with BAE SYSTEMS Astute Class Ltd, the prime contractor for the class, for studies into the projected buy of up to three further boats.

HMS Astute will displace 7.200 tonnes dived and is 97 metres long. She will have six weapons tubes and massively increased firepower compared with earlier attack submarines. She is powered by a Pressurised Water Reactor 2, equipped with Core H, which will fuel the reactor for the submarine's full service life, ending the need for costly reactor refuellings. The cost of each of the first three boats is about £745 million.

AMS will provide the Command Team Trainer, Weapons Handling and Launch Trainer, Optronics trainer, other related training devices, and trainer maintenance support. CAE will provide the Manoeuvring Room Trainer, Submarine Control Trainer, Platform Management System Trainer, other related training devices, and trainer maintenance support. Flagship Training Limited will provide the building, facility management service, and the instructors.

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