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LONDON, England, July 19, 2004. The Assessment Phase for the production of the biggest and most powerful aircraft carriers ever built in the UK is to be extended, enabling further risk reduction work to be undertaken, Lord Bach, Minister for Defence Procurement, announced today.
The target In Service Dates (ISDs) for the Future Carrier Programme (CVF) remain late 2012 and 2015, with a budget of around £3bn (three billion pounds).
Lord Bach also announced that the Ministry of Defence and industry (BAE SYSTEMS / Thales UK) have agreed the CVF Alliancing principles.
The Assessment Phase extension will give the MoD the opportunity to fully realise risk reduction activity, including de-risking the technology, supply-side arrangements and the programme's contractual arrangements, key tenets of Smart Acquisition. During this time, the Department will also conclude the final Alliance Agreement and the contracts for the next phases, before moving to the main investment decision during 2005.
This process will include setting the target cost and schedules, and will be done in parallel with the ongoing work to further increase CVF design maturity. It does not adjust the underlying programme but rather shifts the point at which we make the main investment decision. Our target ISDs remain 2012 and 2015.
"It is an important principle of Smart Acquisition that sufficient time and money should be spent in the Assessment Phase of a project," said Lord Bach.
"The extension to the CVF Assessment Phase will enable us to carry out further risk reduction work on the programme, prior to the main investment decision. As the NAO
pointed out in their last Major Projects Report, spending the right amount of time and money in the Assessment Phase gives better understanding of the technical and supply-side risks of a programme. We want to use lessons learned from previous procurement projects to inform the way forward on our two new aircraft carriers.
"Furthermore, I am delighted to announce that we have agreed the alliancing principles with industry for the CVF programme. This is an important step forward and confirms the commitment of all parties to the programme and to an alliance based on commercial best practice. The Alliance will provide the most effective way of managing risk and reward, and will bring together all parties with a vested financial interest, thus ensuring that we deliver CVF collaboratively. We will now discuss and agree the detailed alliancing arrangements with industry, including the roles and responsibilities of Alliance members."
The two vessels will be the biggest and most powerful warships ever constructed in the UK and the most capable carrier force outside the USA. The innovative adaptable design will give the ships a projected life of more than 50 years.
MoD planners intend to finalize performance, time, and cost parameters at the Main Gate decision point. During the Assessment Phase they will continue to refine estimates. Their target In Service Dates (ISDs) for CVF remain late 2012 and 2015, with a budget of around £3bn (three billion pounds).
CVF forms part of the biggest naval construction programme for a generation, involving nuclear powered attack submarine, Type 45 destroyers, assault and landing ships and support vessels. At the peak of the Demonstration & Manufacture Phase, it is expected that around 10,000 people will be working on the carrier project in the UK.
Shipyards that could potentially be involved in the construction of the two aircraft carriers include BAE Systems Naval Ships on the Clyde, Swan Hunter in the North East, VT Group in Portsmouth, and Babcock Engineering Services in Rosyth. Other shipyards may also be involved in the work. The ships will be based in Portsmouth.
Source: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
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