BARROW, England, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A new British submarine development office was opened Friday, BAE Systems said in a statement.
"Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, chairman of the (British) defense nuclear safety committee, officially opened the Future Submarines -- FSM -- Integrated Project Team office at Barrow-in-Furness," the company said.
"This element of the Future Submarines IPT will be based on the BAE Systems Submarine Solutions site and will be manned by a collaboration of up to 128 personnel made up from the Ministry of Defense, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and Babcock Marine. Working with the FSM IPT office in the MoD’s Abbey Wood offices, the team will, over the next two years, develop a concept design for the submarine component of the future deterrent program," BAE Systems said.
BAE Systems described the future deterrent program as "one of the most significant programs to be defined, managed and delivered by the (British) defense community over the next two decades" and said it had the "potential to shape the submarine industry for years to come."
"The IPT will work closely with external stakeholders in industry to develop and deliver an affordable, sustainable and coherent program with an associated management framework," the company said.
BAE said the integrated team would be run by Andy Mackinder from the British Ministry of Defense.
“This is an exciting day for everyone involved in the future deterrent program," Mackinder said. My team has started design concept work on a new class of SSBNs to replace the current Vanguard Class. This office is a significant part of our plans for delivery of this strategically important program.”
BAE Systems said Tony Burbridge from BAE Systems would be the deputy IPT leader and industrial partnership leader and that he would work with Mackinder in the program.
"The collaborative nature of the FSM team will ensure that the program is able to focus on establishing the right relationships across industry, embedding the values set out in the Defense Industrial Strategy and its associated Maritime Industrial Strategy," the company said.
