The Ministry of Defence remains committed to dismantling the former submarine Swiftsure by the end of 2026 despite the challenges recorded against the Submarine Dismantling Project in the latest major projects report, according to a written answer published on Monday.
Luke Pollard, Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, was responding to Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, who had asked about the nature of the unforeseen challenges associated with the project as recorded in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report for 2025 to 2026.
Mr Pollard said: “The matters identified in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) Major Projects Annual Report relate to the complexities inherent in delivering a first-of-class submarine recycling project including the technical, planning, regulatory and commercial challenges.”
He said: “The Department continues to work constructively with its prime supplier and wider delivery partners to address these issues, improve programme planning and controls, strengthen delivery assurance and explore Fingleton Nuclear Regulatory Review opportunities where possible.”
On the timetable, he said: “Progress continues to be made, and the Department remains committed to dismantling Swiftsure by the end of 2026 safely, effectively and in accordance with regulatory requirements.”
Addressing the figures in the report, he said: “The increase in the project’s Whole Life Cost is primarily due to the maturation of infrastructure (alongside other costs), while the end date extended to October 2028 represents the formal closure of the project and is separate from the milestone to complete the recycling of Swiftsure by 2026.”
Swiftsure is the demonstrator for a programme that has to deal with a substantial number of boats. Decommissioned submarines are held afloat at Devonport and at Rosyth, where seven laid-up vessels are stored and where work under the Submarine Dismantling Project began in 2016.
Defuelling of decommissioned submarines at Devonport stopped in 2004, and the recommissioning of 14 Dock there is intended to allow legacy defuelling operations to resume, work Mr Pollard confirmed last week forms part of the £7.1 billion being invested in the naval base and dockyard over the next decade under Project Royal Oak. He said the department is exploring opportunities to accelerate work on 10 and 14 Dock following the nuclear regulatory review.
Graeme Downie, the Member of Parliament whose constituency covers Rosyth, has been pressing the department for news on submarine recycling at the yard alongside other work, saying last month that he hoped to hear good news soon.
Often one of the over looked aspects of how apparently amazing our forces use to be compared to today. The British military establishment spent 50 years building nuclear submarines with little if any idea about how to dismantle them then spent two decades ignoring the problem which we now having to pick up the tab for.
Sad to see my old boats alongside in various states of disposal. 🙁