Options for Initial Fuelling. Volume 3

Abstract

In the United Kingdom, newly built submarines are fuelled where they are constructed: at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard owned by BAE Systems. Devonport Management Limited (DML) currently refuels existing submarines once their initial fuel load is depleted (and defuels them at retirement). Sustaining separate fuelling and refuelling sites has meant sustaining two sets of nuclear fuel-handling licenses. This has proven increasingly costly in a regulatory regime that expects to see continuous improvement. Such cost increases have led the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to consider the possibility of consolidating its nuclear fuel-handling capabilities at the existing re-fuelling site at DML. If new submarines were fuelled at the DML dockyard, the Barrow yard could relinquish its nuclear fuel-handling license. Such a move could reduce expenditures on the current Astute-class attack submarine acquisition programme and future nuclear submarine projects.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA440098

Entities

People

  • James Chiesa
  • John F. Schank
  • John L. Birkler
  • Laurence Smallman
  • Raj Raman
  • Robert Murphy

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Attack Submarines
  • Ballistic Missile Submarines
  • Boats
  • Business Administration
  • Contracts
  • Cost Estimates
  • Governments
  • Maintenance
  • Management Personnel
  • Manufacturing
  • Marine Engineering
  • Navigation
  • Nuclear Powered Submarines
  • Nuclear Propulsion
  • Nuclear Reactors
  • Procurement
  • Sonar

Readers

  • Economics
  • Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Technology.
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.