Bob Anstey OBE, director of Costain’s Defence and Nuclear Energy business, recently spoke to ADS Advance magazine about why investment in infrastructure is vitally important to maintaining the UK’s defence capabilities.

With the world looking increasingly unstable, this seems an opportune moment to pick the brains of a man whose long and distinguished Royal Navy career included serving as Commanding Officer of HMS Vigilant, one of four Vanguard Class Royal Navy submarines that are the guardians of the UK’s strategic deterrent. 

Bob Anstey spent 36 years in the Royal Navy, latterly as commander for HM Naval Base Clyde, leaving the service with the rank of commodore. Before that for many years he was a submariner, patrolling the oceans and experiencing first-hand the contribution that the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) makes to keeping the UK safe. 

Today, he views the world through a different lens. Anstey is a year into a new role in industry, heading up Costain’s combined Defence and Nuclear Energy business. Costain is a familiar name in the construction sector, but perhaps less well understood is its expertise in the civil and defence nuclear arena where it is one of the largest providers of project and engineering services to the UK nuclear market. 

Anstey is responsible for a team of around 400 people. The civil nuclear side of his organisation includes expertise in new-build nuclear, existing generation, decommissioning and waste management, while defence capability supports the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE).  

“The majority of the work we do in defence is contracted into the primes and our key capability is in building complex infrastructure, operating in a delivery partner role,” Anstey said. “People recognise Costain’s excellent track record in building things, but we also have strong project management expertise and a wealth of experience leading large-scale infrastructure projects.” 

Delivering at Devonport 

There is a direct thread that connects Anstey’s current role with his former life in the Royal Navy in the shape of Costain’s involvement at HMNB Devonport. The company has established a joint venture with Mott McDonald in support of prime contractor Babcock to deliver a major upgrade programme at the base. 

Babcock’s Devonport facility is the largest naval support site in Western Europe and the company is upgrading several of the site’s docks and berths to meet the future needs of the Royal Navy. Babcock provides through-life support for surface ships and submarines at the base and it is the UK’s only licensed site for the refitting and fuelling/defuelling of nuclear-powered submarines. 

Through the JV, Costain is delivery partner for the 10 Dock upgrade programme and the major infrastructure projects (MIP) business unit at Babcock’s facility. The 10 Dock upgrade – the largest dry dock at Devonport – will enable long-term deep maintenance of the Royal Navy’s seven-strong fleet of Astute Class nuclear-powered submarines and eventually the Dreadnought Class, which will replace the Vanguard boats in the Royal Navy’s service fleet. Costain is also involved in upgrades to 14 Dock and 15 Dock, which support defuelling and the submarine refit complex. 

The JV team is two years into a five-year framework at Devonport and Anstey is clear on the significance of the programme: “These infrastructure improvements will support the next generation of maritime platforms and Devonport is a great example of how the work we do contributes to national security. It’s not just about construction either – our clients look to Costain to bring a ‘right first time’ mentality, value for money, the highest quality levels as well as applying the latest digital techniques across our projects.” 

The importance of infrastructure 

Anstey makes the point that maintaining UK Defence goes beyond investment in new hulls and training the best people. “Infrastructure matters. You can’t sustain the mission without the right support structure. 

“There is an urgent need to consider the long-term sustainability of the UK’s defence estate. By that I mean everything from the jetty where the submarine ties up through to workshops, maintenance facilities and accommodation. A significant proportion of these buildings and facilities will need to be upgraded or replaced over the next 50 years. Clearly, this is an area where we believe Costain can added significant value.” 

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“There is an urgent need to consider the long-term sustainability of the UK’s defence estate. By that I mean everything from the jetty where the submarine ties up through to workshops, maintenance facilities and accommodation. A significant proportion of these buildings and facilities will need to be upgraded or replaced over the next 50 years. Clearly, this is an area where we believe Costain can added significant value.”