§ Sir Patrick Wallasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is now the average time for refitting and refuelling nuclear fleet submarines; and how this compares with five years ago.
§ Mr. LeeThe refuelling of nuclear powered fleet submarines is carried out as part of their periodic refits. Two fleet submarines were under refit five years ago, both at Chatham dockyard. They took 110 weeks and 135 weeks, respectively, to complete. One fleet submarine refit has been completed this year, that of HMS Sovereign at Devonport. It was the first such project carried out in the new submarine refitting complex, and took 136 weeks. Other refits of fleet submarines now in hand at Devonport are expected to be completed in a shorter time scale.