12
Recommendation
Third Report - “We’re going to need a b…
Deferred
The underwater domain will become an ever more important part of naval warfare in the future. The Department should explore increasing the size of the attack submarine fleet as part of the Astute successor programme, Submersible Ship Nuclear Replacement (SSNR). At the very least it must confirm in its response …
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The underwater domain will become an ever more important part of naval warfare in the future. The Department should explore increasing the size of the attack submarine fleet as part of the Astute successor programme, Submersible Ship Nuclear Replacement (SSNR). At the very least it must confirm in its response that it will not decrease the number of attack submarines in the fleet below the seven Astute class submarines it plans to operate. The Department must also consider whether the SSNR submarine design will include a horizontal launch missile system in line with current UK submarines, or a vertical launch system for systems such as Tomahawk, in line with some of the more modern US Navy submarines. The Department should confirm in its response how it will ensure that current UK attack submarines retain their land attack missile capability, given the US Navy’s transition to vertical launch systems.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the advice but stated that the SSN(R) programme is in an early design phase, and no conclusions have yet been reached on class size, weapon systems, or wider capabilities, deferring action on the recommendations.
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Ministry of Defence