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Retired Admiral Addresses UK’s Nuclear Submarine Program
(MENAFN) The United Kingdom is reportedly unable to maintain a nuclear submarine program after years of mismanagement, according to retired Rear Admiral Philip Mathias.
Mathias, who formerly served as the Ministry of Defense’s director of nuclear policy, delivered a sharp critique of the current state of Britain’s submarine fleet in an article published by The Telegraph on Saturday.
He contended that continual delays in launching new submarines, coupled with extended patrol durations, have led to a “shockingly low availability” of vessels to confront national threats. These challenges, he noted, have been worsened by budget reductions and a “huge failure” in handling critical personnel effectively.
“The UK is no longer capable of managing a nuclear submarine program,” Mathias asserted.
“Performance across all aspects of the program continues to get worse in every dimension. This is an unprecedented situation in the nuclear submarine age. It is a catastrophic failure of succession and leadership planning,” he emphasized.
The retired officer recommended that London reconsider its involvement in the AUKUS agreement with Australia and the United States, which is designed to supply up to 12 new nuclear submarines.
He suggested focusing instead on more “cost-effective” alternatives, such as smaller unmanned submarines and UAVs.
Mathias also pointed to persistent setbacks in delivering Astute- and Dreadnought-class submarines.
While the HMS Agamemnon, the UK’s most advanced nuclear submarine, officially entered service in September, he highlighted that “the uncomfortable truth is that she took over 13 years to build – the longest-ever construction time for a submarine to be built for the Navy.”
Mathias, who formerly served as the Ministry of Defense’s director of nuclear policy, delivered a sharp critique of the current state of Britain’s submarine fleet in an article published by The Telegraph on Saturday.
He contended that continual delays in launching new submarines, coupled with extended patrol durations, have led to a “shockingly low availability” of vessels to confront national threats. These challenges, he noted, have been worsened by budget reductions and a “huge failure” in handling critical personnel effectively.
“The UK is no longer capable of managing a nuclear submarine program,” Mathias asserted.
“Performance across all aspects of the program continues to get worse in every dimension. This is an unprecedented situation in the nuclear submarine age. It is a catastrophic failure of succession and leadership planning,” he emphasized.
The retired officer recommended that London reconsider its involvement in the AUKUS agreement with Australia and the United States, which is designed to supply up to 12 new nuclear submarines.
He suggested focusing instead on more “cost-effective” alternatives, such as smaller unmanned submarines and UAVs.
Mathias also pointed to persistent setbacks in delivering Astute- and Dreadnought-class submarines.
While the HMS Agamemnon, the UK’s most advanced nuclear submarine, officially entered service in September, he highlighted that “the uncomfortable truth is that she took over 13 years to build – the longest-ever construction time for a submarine to be built for the Navy.”
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