Based at HMNB Clyde at Faslane, Scotland, the SMERAS trainer enables students to practice abandoning a submarine in a realistic training environment that simulates the expected conditions onboard a submarine in distress. (Royal Navy/Crown Copyright)
Capita-led consortium Team Fisher has taken over responsibility for the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Submarine Escape, Rescue, Abandonment, and Survival (SMERAS) facility as part of a 12-year training contract it is delivering under Project Selborne.
Based at HMNB Clyde at Faslane, Scotland, the SMERAS facility is a controllable training environment that enables personnel to practice escape, rescue, and abandonment techniques under realistic conditions before boarding a real submarine. The training is centred on a blend of practical and classroom teaching, and the facility is capable of delivering a minimum of 82 courses to more than 2,700 trainees per year.
Team Fisher – a consortium comprising Raytheon UK, Elbit Systems UK, Fujitsu, the University of Lincoln, and several smaller UK suppliers – was awarded a contract worth about GBP1 billion (USD1.2 billion) in January 2021 to deliver training services to the RN and Royal Marines across 16 sites during the next 12 years.
Under Project Selborne, which aligns with the RN's wider transformation strategy, Team Fisher is working to modernise RN training through the implementation of a range of sophisticated technologies, processes, and training management systems. The scope of the contract includes reviewing and modernising training courses, running live on-the-ground training, and developing and deploying new methods such as digital learning and training simulation technology, as well as managing all of the RN's training equipment (including procurement and decommissioning) and improving accreditation and apprenticeship management.
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