UK MoD awards £20million contract for Astute Class

JFD, a subsidiary of James Fisher and Sons plc, has been awarded a contract by the UK MoD to be the provider of a novel capability support contract for the Astute-class submarine.

The contract is valued in excess of £20million and has a length of four years, with a one-year extension option.

It is a long-term support contract to provide equipment-level in-service support including core and non-core tasking and the provision of spares.

JFD will provide expertise for both onboard and offboard systems, which demand a high level of through-life support to ensure the capability is ready for operations.

JFD has partnered with RB Safety Consultants, a medium-sized consultancy with an existing reputation in the submarine enterprise for providing assurance oversight.

Capability assurance is provided by JFD’s carefully constructed and balanced blend of experienced and knowledgeable people, efficient systems and processes and proactive management with streamlined decision making.

The Astute-class submarine has faced scrutiny recently as the UK NAO report revealed the construction of the fifth in-class submarine has seen delays of 25 months.

According to Shephard Defence Insight, the Astute-class submarines are powered by a nuclear reactor and have a 25-year lifespan without being refuelled.

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

Astute Class