BBC captures Astute behind the scenes

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The MoD’s latest attack submarine HMS Astute is to feature in a major television series as the BBC got an extensive behind the scenes look at the ‘most complex engineering project on the planet’, in progress on the north west coast of England.

BBC staff on their Astute assignment

The TV programme ‘Coast’ celebrates the unique character of the UK’s coastal communities, exploring a wealth of fascinating human stories through a mixture of expert comment, contemporary storytelling, stunning air photography and computer-generated images.

The film places the construction of the next generation of nuclear attack submarines in the historical context of ship and submarine building in Barrow in Furness.

It will explain how the deployment of submarines has changed over the decades, and how their current deployment impacts on global security.

The film will show the sheer scale and complexity of the project, the technology applied in the design and available on board, the different stages of construction, and the innovative methods employed such as ‘virtual prototyping’ and the ‘modular build’.

Coast’s production team visited BAE’s facility in Barrow to gather footage of the various stages of building the Astute class.

Filming involved a tour of the new assembly shop, the Devonshire Dock Hall, Smite and Warspite, as well as interviews with various individuals including Commander Paul Knight from the Attack Submarines IPT and BAE’s production manager Gary Davies.

The programme will be presented by Dr Mark Horton, Head of the Archaeology and Anthropology Department at the University of Bristol, and is due to be aired next summer in preparation for the launch of HMS Astute.

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