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Submarines operate in an unforgiving, complex and highly pressurised environment where the need for absolute stealth is paramount. Threats and technology are rapidly evolving, driving the need for new platforms, tactics, systems and system upgrades to be developed, tested and implemented at pace. Effective Test & Evaluation (T&E) of underwater capabilities has never been more important.

With the formation of the AUKUS trilateral agreement, Australia, the UK and the US will be deploying up to four different classes of submarines for operations from Australian soil, including the new SSN-AUKUS fleet (to come into service in the late 2030s) as part of their commitments under Pillar 1. In this complex operational context, the safe and successful deployment of a submarine hinges on the undertaking of Test & Evaluation (T&E) activities. At the heart of QinetiQ’s offering to defence customers, this article will explore why underwater T&E is the single most critical tool in identifying risk and ensuring safe and effective operations for the AUKUS submarine enterprise.

What is the aim of T&E in the underwater domain?

At the highest level, T&E aims to provide customers with an evidence base that allows them to make well-informed, objective decisions in relation to an underwater capability.

Broadly speaking, there are three reasons to do underwater T&E in Defence:

• To assure a capability is safe – during design, manufacture, acceptance and through-life, including when making upgrades
• To assure a capability is contractually compliant (i.e. the buyer gets what they want, and what they paid for)
• To measure elements of a capability, in order to quantify operational risk.

Who benefits from T&E?

In short: everyone involved with an existing - or future - capability. First to benefit is the customer: who can be sure that they are getting an asset that is safe, and that meets specific requirements - relative to costs and investment. In other words, that the capability provides value for money long in to the future. Requirements for the ASTUTE class submarine, for example, were defined in the 1990s, and they will still be operational into the 2040s.

Second to benefit is the manufacturer: who can use T&E to understand the options available to them early in the development process, gather the evidence to support their technical submission for contractual acceptance, and understand the upgrade options once a capability has been fielded. This ensures that costs can be better managed and that the capability remains relevant.

Submarine platforms have some of the longest development timeframes of all platforms with the concept through to adoption in service taking up to 30 years. In the case of AUKUS, work to build the SSN-A submarines is due to begin by 2030, with a view to them entering service towards the end of the 2030s (UK) and the early 2040s (Australia). Even with the desire to reduce timescales and costs, managing the risk and budget through this development is a challenge to the manufacturer and customer. T&E is essential for maritime manufacturers - in order to help them understand the risks (including cost drivers) through the development and lifecycle, including upgrades, and adapt plans where necessary.

Third to benefit is the end-user: for example, submariners and operational duty holders in the underwater domain. With appropriate T&E, the end-user can be sure that the capability will meet operational requirements and that it is safe to use. They also have an idea of what it is capable of in relation to the threat, and how it will behave in the varying environments presented by changing temperatures and salinities.

As such, T&E allows defence customers to manage risk earlier, which can reduce programme costs and development times. Additionally, it provides assurance that the capability will be compliant with legal requirements.

To maintain the benefits of conducting T&E on underwater platforms, it is vital to continue performing T&E activities throughout the lifecycle of a capability. As a submarine ages, the safe continuation of its service period hinges on the ongoing assessment of its sensors, weapon systems performance and signature through regular T&E.

Conclusion: The strategic necessity of underwater T&E

Without the insights provided by Test & Evaluation, through ongoing collaboration with a T&E partner such as QinetiQ, mistakes may be made in the build process, and submarine commanders may be forced to adopt overly cautious or risky strategies, increasing the overall risk of submarine operations. Conducting regular T&E activities throughout the lifecycle of these underwater platforms is therefore vital for success, allowing the customer to leverage the benefits of continued T&E across a platform’s lifecycle.