The BAE Systems facility at Barrrow has been evacuated after reports of a bomb onboard an inbuild Astute class submarine.

UPDATE: This article (and headline) has been amended to reflect that the emergency was a hoax.

Barrow-in-Furness, commonly known as Barrow, is a town and borough in Cumbria and is home to BAE’s submarine construction facilities.

1,700 staff are believed to have been evacuated.

A BAE Systems spokesman said:

“We can confirm there is an ongoing incident at our Barrow site and we are liaising with Cumbria Police. As a precaution the Devonshire Dock Complex has been closed. Staff, contractors and local residents are being kept informed.”

BAE added later:

“There is no perceived threat to the wider public at this time and the rest of the site is in operation as usual.”

Emergency services were called at 09:17.

A North West Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We are currently on scene but there are no known casualties.”

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: “Police are on-site at BAE assisting staff.”

UPDATE: This was found to be a hoax.

The Astute class are the most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy, combining world leading sensors, design and weaponry in a versatile vessel.

Confirmation of the build of the seventh Astute class nuclear submarine, HMS Agincourt, and a £2.5 billion pounds investment was announced last year.

The class have provision for up-to 38 weapons in six 21-inch torpedo tubes. The submarines are capable of using Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of 1,000 miles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes.

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52 COMMENTS

  1. Jesus.

    Never heard of such a thing at a UK based facility as important as Barrow.

    Inside job or major security breach I wonder??

    • Have they actually found it or is it just alleged to be on board. It’s a bloody big unit to search, and think of all the nooks and compartments it could be hidden in! Someone wanting a long weekend perhaps?

    • It says “inbuilt” I wonder if it was a bomb meant for detonation when deep under the sea. Maybe Argentina sent a £hit squad of Hombres to do the job…

        • I think Cam was suggesting a device with a very long! Delay so it would be incorporated in the build of the sub, remained undetected, then detonate years later.

          Indeed a chilling thought.

          • Then how do they know it is there? If the point of the exercise is to cause a major catastrophe at sea, you wouldn’t tell anyone about it. If it is about disrupting production, then it is probably just a hoax! Could just as well toss a can of corned beef into a sealed compartment. Fray Bentos of course…for those that want an Argentinian conspiracy!

          • I’m sure you’re right, just saying what I think Cammy was getting at.

            It’s all speculation until we know more. Found by accident, tip off, hoax, who knows!

            Fray Bentos! Get the task force ready!

          • My apologies to Fray Bentos, they are not an Argentinian firm but Uruguayan. All these years that I thought the beef I was eating was from the other side of the river Plate!!!

    • spending a lot of time near there, i’m not aware of real visible security, in other countries you’d have high level, of clear security, i’ve never even seen a keep out sign,worrying.

      • Bloody heck, the security’s high in that yard. Probably made to look like a bomb but isn’t actually one. But a worker doing that!? I have so many questions..l I hope we get some answers on here.

        • i was once in a hostelry in portsmouth talking to one of the staff in the flag officer sea training, he told me that the worst incident he could remember was when a leander hms galatea, was in the course of its thursday war exercise when some clown, who had taped two coke can together with a battery and wires sellotaped a piece of paper to it with the word BOMB written on it! needless to say the exercise was cancelled, the culprit was never found, but you can see how easy it is to play a prank like this. with possible serious consequences.

  3. Hoping this is resolved quickly and efficiently without issue. Also hoping that lessons get learned from this about protecting our assets while on home turf

    M@

  4. How in God’s name did someone place such a device (if in fact, it is a bomb) as such an establishment should be watertight, literally! Let’s hope it is a hoax and the good people of the Barrow yard are safe.

  5. On a different note, Why can’t BAE get orders to build submarines from abroad? Surely rich nations want them… we build some amazing ones at barrow and did all over the uk at one time.. even building cheaper diesel electric ones at barrow for export. After the 4 Drednoughts what’s next? Astutes replacement? But it’s to new isn’t it….

    • The nuclear submarine club is pretty exclusive Cam.

      Can’t be selling them to too many others.

      They’re top notch in price and in capability.

    • BAE and RR will not invest in AIP unless the UK government pays them to. Without it we will not win any exports and the UK government has no interest.

    • Astutes replacements have been on the drawing board for years…By the time boat 7 is commissioned the replacements will have been started….10 plus years to build a sub 🙂

      • Yes it is a lengthy process but it’s not just the build stage. Everything happens at the DDH. Designing, building, reactor tests/activation, trim dive

      • I HOPE THEY’RE CONVENTIONALLY POWERED BOATS, CHEAPER,STEALTHIER, FASTER TO BUILD,NEW OXYGEN PRODUCING TECHNOLOGY£1.4 BILLION FOR JUST 1 ASTUTE COMPARED TO£100 MILLION EACH FOR THE GOTLAND CLASS SWEDISH CONVENTIONAL WHICH RAN RINGS AROUND A FULL AMERICAN CARRIER GROUP 14 GOTLANDS FOR THE PRICE OF 1 ASTUTE? ITS A NO BRAINER.

        • You’re comparing the cost of a 23 year old submarine to one that is under construction in 2019. The Shortfin Barracuda is no cheaper than an Astute and nowhere near as capable. If Australia was ordering subs based on capability they would have been better ordering an astute mark 2 now the RN has ironed out its issues.

    • many nations are now investing in conventionally powered submarines, i don’t know what the u.k position is of nuclear exporting things that they would endorse, mind you if another nation tried to buy an astute derivative at the pace BAE build, it would be obsolete before they’d get it.

    • the navy was allowed to make the decision(IN THE SEVENTIES) to opt for an all nuclear submarine force. they should now be told that they’ll get what the nation and the defense budget can provide for. the modern conventional submarines are very capable, cheaper and far,far faster to build. i’ve never understood the attitude of this country to buying second hand, if say a ship from india becomes available and it is good enough, meets the needs of the R.N, then why not? it is the fastest way to increase the size of the fleet and has the bonus of acquiring ships that ARE ALREADY BUILT. ‘JUST AS GUNNING UP’ THE RIVERS TO CORVETTE STANDARDS OF USE COULD VERY QUICKLY INCREASE THE FLEET BY UP TO 9 SHIPS I’M INTERESTED IN THE SIGMA 10514 , 10 METERS LONGER THAN A RIVER 20 MORE CREW,SAME BEAM 4 KNOTS FASTER, YET COMES WITH 4 EXOCET TWIN QUADRUPLE ANTI AIR MISSILE LAUNCHERS, A 76MM OTO MELARA MAIN GUN,TWO TRIPLE TORPEDO LAUNCHERS. SOME NATION OPERATE THE THIS AND ITS PREDECESSORS AS FRIGATES, OR CORVETTES,AND COUNT THEM IN THEIR FLEET INVENTORIES AS FRONT LINE SHIPS. THE POLITICAL WILL,FUNDING, DESIGN ADAPTATIONS, SAY FOR DEDICATED ASW ROLE WITH, TOWED ARRAY, asroc, DEFENSIVE WEAPON SYSTEM, ID’ SAY GO FOR IT AN ALMOST INSTANT INCREASE N THE FLEET SIZE OF 9 MORE SHIPS SHOULD BE GIVEN REAL CONSIDERATION.

  6. How far along in the build is the sub? The implications of a viable device going undetected, say behind plating or ducting until sea trials is bone chilling.

    Either this is a simple hoax, called in by an activist – or this the single greatest breech of a domestic UK secure base full stop.

    • After the US election, Scottish Referendum, EU Referendum, EU elections and worst of all…..Eurovision! Now this? Won’t somebody think off the children!

        • We agree for once?!

          I cannot stand that waste of time.

          The political bias of the eatern European and Balkan nations is ridiculous.

          We never have a chance.

          And most serious British bands would not touch it with a barge pole.

          • Yes, but in all seriousness, these nations can’t really be proud of their efforts. It’s like a child laying a gigantic turd in a potty, and then asking for his parents approval!

          • I love the comments section here we go from debating the validity of a bomb scare, to Eurovision nowhere else could do that ?On another note Eurovision is definitely a legit TLAM training target IMO

          • Eurovision is by far the most important democratic vote in Europe and for the Russians to play politics with this political frippery is an outrage! If we allow this aggression what’s next, phoning in bomb hoaxes to northern shipyards or even installing KGB assets in the White House?!

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