Learning from Experience
Volume III: Lessons from the United Kingdom's Astute Submarine Program
ResearchPublished Nov 16, 2011
Large, complex submarine design and construction programs demand personnel with unique skills and capabilities supplemented with practical experiences in their areas of expertise. Recognizing the importance of past experiences for successful program management, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MOD) asked the RAND Corporation to develop a set of lessons learned from its Astute submarine program that could help inform future program managers. RAND reviewed the history of UK nuclear submarines, investigated how operational requirements were set for the Astute class; explored the acquisition, contracting, design, and build processes that the Astute program employed; and assessed the plans and activities surrounding integrated logistics support for the Astute. The impact of the substantial time gap between the design and build of the Astute and its predecessor nuclear submarines was greatly underestimated by the private sector and the MOD, and both parties underestimated the impact of the MOD's decision to shift responsibilities to the private sector. Designing and building a submarine requires careful management and oversight and a delegation of roles and responsibilities that recognizes which party — the shipbuilder or the government — is best positioned to manage risks.
Related Content
Topics
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 2011
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 104
- Paperback Price: $22.00
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 978-0-8330-5897-3
- Document Number: MG-1128/3-NAVY
Citation
RAND Style Manual
Chicago Manual of Style
Schank, John F., Frank W. Lacroix, Robert Murphy, Cesse Cameron Ip, Mark V. Arena, and Gordon T. Lee, Learning from Experience: Volume III: Lessons from the United Kingdom's Astute Submarine Program, RAND Corporation, MG-1128/3-NAVY, 2011. As of October 8, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1128z3.html
Schank, John F., Frank W. Lacroix, Robert Murphy, Cesse Cameron Ip, Mark V. Arena, and Gordon T. Lee, Learning from Experience: Volume III: Lessons from the United Kingdom's Astute Submarine Program. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2011. https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1128z3.html. Also available in print form.
Research conducted by
The research described in this report was prepared for the United States Navy, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, and Australia's Department of Defence. The research was conducted within the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community.
This publication is part of the RAND monograph series. RAND monographs were products of RAND from 2003 to 2011 that presented major research findings that addressed the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND monographs were subjected to rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.