Since the 1960s, the Navy has put 30 nuclear-powered submarines into action, and 20 of these have since been retired, yet none of these 20 have been dismantled. HMS Dreadnought, Britain’s first ever nuclear submarine, has been de-fuelled but is still waiting for scrapping – despite being taken out of service in 1980. It is one of the 11 submarines retired before the turn of the century that are still inexplicably moored in British ports. Given Theresa May’s recently announced £600m boost to submarine funding, one can’t help looking at the 20 decaying subs and wondering if potential savings are being missed. Between 2010-16 alone, £16m was spent on upkeep costs for subs that will never sail again. In a time when efficiency is the watchword for the MOD, perhaps we should begin by dealing with our fleet of Cold War relics.
New Statesman 4th July 2018 read more »