Full cost of Astute concealed

The full cost of the RN's new Astute class SSN has been concealed by switching £227 million to a separate contract for the next generation of SSBNs. This is part of £1 billion switched between contracts unearthed by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee to disguise their true costs for an MOD struggling to afford them. All in all the forecast cost of the biggest military procurement projects is up 11% on the original price tags. As for the Astute "switch" the explanation given is that the money was overheads to maintain the Barrow shipyard facilities which will begin construction of the next SSBN after the Astute programme.