Pride is defined as pleasure or satisfaction gained from achievements – it is a fitting description of the emotions felt by the men and women who have helped to place Astute at the heart of the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.

The same can also be said of the 98-man crew, who will wear their naval uniforms with a great sense of purpose while serving on board this new-age submarine. The end product is a fitting testament to the unique skills so essential in both designing and constructing a submarine of this calibre. Such a complex product demands highly skilled employees, and the expertise of the 5,000-strong Submarine Solutions workforce, and its supply chain partners, agencies and support staff, is not to be underestimated. Equally important is the close working relationship and personal interaction with the Royal Navy customer, from first steel cut to where we are today.

As the project has progressed, so the workforce has grown to satisfy the demands of such a challenging programme. Recruitment campaigns swung into action and, having experienced a dip in numbers in previous, leaner years, the company began to witness a revival as the workforce steadily grew to place the shipyard once again at the heart of the Barrow community as the town’s major employer.

It is a workforce that prides itself on being a collective achievement, subscribing to an ethos of ‘One Determined Team’. That ‘One Determined Team’ includes the crucial contribution of Submarine Solutions’ many partners in the submarine enterprise.

There has been widespread recognition of the many examples of outstanding contributions from individuals and teams, both from within BAE Systems and further afield. This has come in a variety of forms, ranging from reward and recognition activities within the company to chartership, fellowship and other accolades awarded to individuals during the Astute years by various professional bodies and institutions.