The Ministry of Defence is examining whether work at HM Naval Base Devonport can be accelerated following a nuclear regulatory review, as part of a wider £26 billion programme to upgrade the Royal Navy’s three main naval bases, Defence Minister Luke Pollard has said.
Responding to a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, Pollard said the Devonport Infrastructure Programme was continuing to modernise the base and reinforce its role as the Royal Navy’s centre for submarine deep maintenance.
Pollard said: “The Devonport Infrastructure Programme is making significant progress in modernising facilities at His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport to reinforce its role as the Royal Navy’s centre for submarine deep maintenance. Upgrades to docking and waterfront infrastructure have already enabled Astute Class submarines to undertake maintenance activities in Devonport, with further improvements continuing across the site.”
He added: “The programme is also delivering additional support for current and future submarine classes, the recommencement of the submarine defueling programme, and new maintenance berthing capacity, strengthening the Royal Navy’s overall warfighting readiness.”
The MOD is now considering whether parts of the work can be brought forward. Pollard said: “We are currently reviewing opportunities to accelerate work following the nuclear regulatory review and we continue to press for the earliest possible delivery of the projects.”
The Devonport work forms part of Project Royal Oak, the £26 billion investment package covering HMNB Devonport, HMNB Portsmouth and HMNB Clyde over the next decade. In a separate series of parliamentary answers to Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge, Pollard said the programme covered infrastructure, estate renewal, accommodation, engineering, sustainment and operational support across the three bases.
Pollard said: “Project Royal Oak delivers key Strategic Defence Review recommendations by recapitalising the Defence estate and strengthening the Strategic Base. Through £26 billion of investment over the next decade, including major upgrades at Faslane, Portsmouth and Devonport, the programme will enhance warfighting readiness, support the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, enable the future Hybrid Navy, and improve the resilience of critical maritime infrastructure in support of NATO and UK national security.”
Asked how much of the £26 billion was allocated specifically to new capabilities and how much to accommodation, Pollard said: “The £26 billion investment of Project Royal Oak is an aggregate package inclusive of HMNB Clyde, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth. This package encompasses a broad range of infrastructure, estate renewal, accommodation, engineering, sustainment and operational support activity.”
He added: “The disaggregation of these outputs includes aspects that are commercially and operationally sensitive, however financial data on MOD major projects is published in the Annual Report on the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).”
Cartlidge also asked how much of the £26 billion represented new funding and how much had previously been announced. Pollard replied: “The £26 billion investment of Project Royal Oak represents the future investment package agreed through the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which was a zero-based review of Defence budgets. This investment package encompasses a broad range of infrastructure, estate renewal, accommodation, engineering, sustainment, and operation support activity.”
At Devonport, the investment is intended to support both existing and future submarine classes, expand maintenance berthing and allow submarine defueling activity to resume. Completed docking and waterfront upgrades have already allowed Astute-class submarines to undertake maintenance at the base, with further work continuing across the site.
Project Royal Oak also includes plans for a Skills and Development Centre. Asked how many apprentices and adult learners the proposed facility would support each year, Pollard said: “The Skills and Development Centre scope is currently being refined. The number of apprentices and adult learners it will be capable of supporting will be confirmed once that work has concluded.”
The £26 billion programme was announced in July and is intended to recapitalise infrastructure at the Royal Navy’s principal bases while supporting the nuclear enterprise, future fleet requirements and the wider readiness of the Service.
Simple fact is we need to increase/update capacity in all areas. As far as nuclear goes I think we also need to try and find a way to reduce dependence on US systems – perhaps in cooperation with Germany? The US is simply too reliable and proving to be more of a liability than an ally/asset.