MOD refuse to commit to Astute delivery on time

The MOD in the form of Quentin Davies, Minister for Defence Equipment, has refused to answer a question about whether the Astute nuclear attack submarines would be delivered on time or not. Four are on order with three more planned. The Astute programme has been dogged with delays, setbacks and cost overruns. Astute is due to enter service this year which is still on track despite recent fire damage. It now looks like the development programme will be "re-baselined" with a slight delay put into the programme to ensure the gap between finishing Astute and begining the Vanguard SSBN replacement is miminal.