Aug 2013 Issue 63 desthe magazine for defenceider equipment and support DE&S helps build a sustainable UK submarine industry Latest DE&S organisation wallchart See inside DE&S delivers, Training on Board goes Safety on Viking says report Sentinel on the road the water regeneration Our UK employees are proud to provide kit for Britain’s armed forces. We design, manufacture and maintain ghter jets, armoured vehicles and naval vessels including the Typhoon aircraft, Scimitar light tanks and the Astute Class of submarine. But we’re prouder still of the contribution and sacri ces made by our armed forces every day. Thank you. Our UK employees are proud to provide kit for Britain’s armed forces. We design, FEATURES manufacture and maintain ghter jets, 4 armoured vehicles and naval vessels 20 Agamemnon has big shoes to fill including the Typhoon aircraft, Scimitar The UK's submarine capability has taken a big step forward light tanks and the Astute Class of with work beginning on assembly of Agamemnon, the sixth of seven Astute class submarines, at BAES' facility at submarine. But we’re prouder still of the Barrow-in-Furness contribution and sacri ces made by our armed forces every day. Thank you. 22 A year of solid achievement Type 45 destroyers, Astute submarines and a host of other examples are highlighted as the MOD's annual report and accounts charts a busy year of equipment delivery Picture: CPOA(Phot) Thomas McDonald CPOA(Phot) Picture: 24 Wings help Atlas to take flight The first wings for the UK's fleet of A400m Atlas aircraft, the RAF's next generation transport plane, have been built at Airbus UK in Bristol for delivery to the assembly line in Seville, Spain 26 Meeting the challenge The MOD's Permanent Secretary has praised the work of civil servants during a visit to Bristol where he gave the cover image 2013 keynote speech at Civil Service Live, an event for staff of all As HMS Ambush, above, negotiates the approaches to Government departments based in the west country Clyde naval base, DE&S has signed a new contract to guarantee the future of the UK’s submarine industry and secure thousands of jobs. AUGUST desider NEWS Assistant Head, Public Relations: Ralph Dunn - 9352 30257 or 0117 9130257 4 DE&S secures enterprise [email protected] DE&S has signed a new contract to guarantee the future of the UK's submarine industry and secure Deputy Editor: thousands of skilled jobs Steve Moore - 9352 30537 or 0117 9130537 [email protected] 7 Procurement set to change – rapidly Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has told MPs he Distribution Manager: is determined to change the way the MOD carries Dick Naughton - 9352 34342 or 0117 9134342 out defence procurement, and to do it rapidly [email protected] 8 Submarine builders earn praise Advertising: The Royal Navy's operational success is only Richard Stillman – Ten Alps Media, 40 Bowling Green possible due to thousands of people who build, Lane, London EC1R 0NE support and maintain submarines, Parliament has Tel: +44 (0)20 7657 1837 been told Fax: +44 (0)20 7379 7155 [email protected] 10 Viking restoration going swimmingly Restoration of the Royal Marines' Viking all-terrain vehicles following their heavy service in Afghanistan Printing: is progressing well 12 How Lightning II will be the perfect fit The MOD has joined the services and industry in simulating how the F-35B aircraft will work desider is distributed free of charge to DE&S employees and the equipment capability sponsor. Copies can also alongside other elements of UK Armed Forces be made available to readers outside the MOD, including those in the defence industries. While the editor takes 14 Defence equipment stays on the move care to ensure all material produced is accurate, no Safe and efficient handling of heavy loads has liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Views been guaranteed by a new seven-year contract to expressed in desider, and the products and services maintain equipment such as forklift trucks advertised, are not necessarily endorsed by DE&S or the MOD. All content for advertorials must be cleared by the 15 Small arms ammunition task completed relevant MOD project team before publication. Allied nations are following the DE&S lead by using an incinerator to demilitarise thousands of rounds © Crown Copyright of unusable ammunition This magazine is produced on Cocoon 16 Artillery hunter delivered to DE&S Silk 90gsm which contains 50 per The latest unit of an artillery-monitoring radar has cent recycled and de-inked pulp from been delivered to DE&S by Saab to help provide the post consumer waste and Forest backbone of Land Forces' artillery hunting capability Stewardship Council certified material for many years from well-managed forests. Insider Bernard Gray Chief of Defence Materiel ‘I want you in the DE&S Right: future Astute workforce to play a full part in class submarines Artful, on the left, and the changes through the many Audacious are pictured in the main construction communication channels that hall at BAE Systems, are open to you’ Barrow-in-Furness. Below right: Leading The Secretary of State for be tested through a commercial Hand Craig Rankin, on board Artful during its Defence Philip Hammond gave competition and against DE&S+. construction, carries a very clear exposition of the I’m convinced that the need for out daily checks in the reasons that underlie the need change in DE&S has secured wide weapon compartment. for significant change in the way understanding and acceptance. The keel of Agamemnon, that DE&S is operated when he The Secretary of State’s wish for the sixth of seven Astute boats to be built, spoke for the Government at the rapid change is a reminder that has been laid down at Second Reading of the Defence decisions that will affect all of Barrow Reform Bill. us are expected to be taken next Much of what he said may year. Should a GOCO solution Pictures: Andrew be familiar to you, but I believe be selected by Ministers we can Linnett the Secretary of State’s speech expect a contract to be awarded provides us all with a very good in the late summer of next opportunity to remind ourselves year with the new organisation Work begins on of the need for change – and standing up around the turn of to note his wish that it should the year. Astute No 6 – happen rapidly. There is a great deal to do pages 20 and 21 In the meantime the Materiel between now and the period Strategy team is pressing ahead during which ministers will make with its work on the assessment a decision on the future structure phase, which was launched of DE&S and, as I have said many more than three months ago. times, I want you in the DE&S Its studies into the development workforce to play a full part in of DE&S+ – the public sector the changes through the many DE&S secur es submarine enterprise comparator – and the potential communication channels that are Government-Owned, Contractor open to you. Operated (GOCO) solution are The MOD’s Annual Report continuing to advance according and Accounts – which is covered DE&S HAS signed a new contract to to our timetables, whatever elsewhere in this edition of guarantee the future of the UK’s submarine speculation you may have read in industry and secure thousands of jobs. desider – provides hugely the media. The eight-year foundation contract Mr Hammond told MPs during impressive evidence of the work with BAE Systems underpins an existing the House of Commons debate of DE&S in the last financial year, arrangement between the MOD and industry, that he was determined to change when equipment deliveries to the known as the Submarine Enterprise the way that MOD carried out three services totalled nearly Performance Programme (SEPP). defence procurement. £8 billion and covered warships, The aim of SEPP is to improve He said for decades the fighter aircraft and a wide variety performance, reduce costs and develop a sustainable submarine enterprise, delivering defence equipment programme of land equipment. In this context I was very overall programme savings of at least £900 had suffered from poor time and million, of which BAE Systems’ target is £386 cost forecasting and poor project pleased to see that the first two boats of the Astute class million. and programme management, Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence leading to delays, cost overruns of attack submarines have now Equipment, Support and Technology, and specification failures. been handed over to the Royal announced the contract during a visit to The delivery of the ten-year Navy, ready to be prepared for BAE Systems’ submarine works at Barrow- £160 billion equipment and operations, and the keel of the in Furness on 18th July. Complex submarines support programme required sixth of the class has been laid. have been designed and built at the site for fundamental reform to MOD’s It has also been announced the Royal Navy for more than a century. defence acquisition processes that the BAE Systems element “To build the submarines of the future and structures. of the Submarine Enterprise though, we need to secure the skills and the He reiterated the Performance Programme has workforce that have been rebuilt over the Government’s preference for been signed. These events are past decade. Painful experience has taught DE&S to be transformed into a the result of a huge amount of us the importance of sustainability in this industry,” he said.