Progress on replacement of submarines

The Politics and DV Engineering working group analyses current political developments in the defence sector. It provides independent facts and interpretation from the technological knowledge and experience of engineers.

The Politics and Defence Engineering Working Group of the Royal Institute of Engineers (KIVI) has the following questions and recommendations on the Defence Secretary's Progress Report on the replacement of submarine capability from 1 April 2022. These have been prepared based on publicly available documents and defence technology knowledge and experience. The comments and questions concern technological or related aspects only.

The working group is very disappointed by the further postponement of the construction of new submarines. So much postponed that the maintainability and deployability in gravity conditions of the Walrus-class submarines is really in question. Indeed, two boats are already to be decommissioned. This is distressing, especially as the Secretary of State notes that the programme has become all the more urgent in light of the rapidly deteriorating security situation along the eastern flank of the NATO treaty area. A de facto unresolvable capability gap is emerging at a most unfortunate time.

The working group has 17 factual questions on the report. Download them a PDF here

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The Hague, 18 April 2022
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