Ben Obese-Jecty MP pressed the Ministry of Defence on 9 September about progress across the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) programme, covering support for ships, submarines, and naval bases.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed that the programme remains in its assessment phase, with the first major milestone already secured. “The NSIGN (Submarines) Project Outline Business Case (OBC) [was] approved April 2025 and Full Business Case approval [is] expected in early 2026,” he said. He added that “concept work is progressing with the NSIGN (Ships) and NSIGN (Naval Bases) Projects seeking OBC approval early and mid-2026 respectively.”
The scale of the programme is designed to provide long-term continuity for submarine and naval support services. Pollard explained that “the NSIGN Projects will enable the Ministry of Defence to contract for Submarine and enabling Naval Base services delivered through Clyde and Devonport in March 2026 and for Ships and wider Naval Base services from October 2028.” To bridge the transition, he noted there will be “a parallel (and planned) extension of the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) where required, for the period March 2026 to October 2028.”
The NSIGN structure is intended to unify separate strands of naval support into a single framework. Submarines, ships, and dockyard services are being considered in parallel, with aligned decision points to ensure cohesion. The approach reflects lessons learned from earlier sustainment programmes, aiming to avoid capability gaps and ensure continuous availability of critical services across the fleet.
Although the detail remains subject to approvals due in 2026, the outline provided by the minister sets clear expectations. Submarine and dockyard support will move onto new contracts in 2026, while ship support will follow from 2028. Until then, the extended FMSP will maintain support capacity, allowing for a phased and managed transition to the NSIGN model.
