Astute sea trials and the dry-dock bottleneck

How long will the new Astute spend on sea trials before entering service?

Probably a couple of months, although dry-dock availability remains a wider obstacle to getting submarines ready for service.

Sea trials are expected to take a good couple of months. The broader readiness problem is dry-dock access, with several facilities undergoing refurbishment together. Devonport docks 10, 14 and 15 are out of service for work in this account, with refurbishment also affecting Faslane. The estimated share of docks undergoing work is approximate, somewhere around two-thirds or even three-quarters. Delayed investment has brought maintenance needs together, while a ten-year funding promise remains exposed to intervening governments. Regular maintenance would keep docks usable more consistently than long funding shortages followed by large refurbishment programmes.