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News Release from: Royal Academy of Engineering
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 07 December 2006
Academy says new submarines should be
built in UK
The Royal Academy of Engineering supports the UK Government's decision to retain the country's independent nuclear deterrent but calls for the planned submarine programme to be built in the UK
Philip Greenish, Chief Executive of the Academy, commented on the publication of today's Defence White Paper: "The proposed new submarine fleet should be built domestically, not abroad" "The contracting out of the design and building of submarines in the 1990s, together with a gap in the submarine programme, resulted in a major loss of skills"
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 1 Jun 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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"Building the Navy's submarine fleet abroad could undermine the nation's ability to maintain a nuclear submarine programme in the future".
"Continuity of both design teams and construction in the UK is crucial if major cost over runs and delays are to be avoided".
Greenish added: "If we are to maintain the UK's defence and civil nuclear capabilities we must increase the level of investment for education and training in nuclear engineering and safety".
"We also need to recognise the interdependence of universities, the civil nuclear industry and defence establishments".
"Over the last 20 years there has been a massive reduction in research and development in the civil nuclear sector".
"This has reduced the availability of skilled workers for both the civil and military nuclear sectors - particularly in the area of reactor technology".
"The skills needed for the design, build, operation and disposal of naval nuclear propulsion plant are therefore in short supply and expensive but it is not too late to reverse this process".
"We need to educate, invest and increase the pool of skilled workers in the nuclear industry".
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