Are the British nuclear submarines sliding under the waves? | Companies

HMS Anson stumbled out of Devonshire Dock Hall to applause on Tuesday before its 7,400-ton mass slid into the water for the first time.

The launch of the Royal Navy’s fifth submarine marked a milestone for defense giant BAE Systems, which is building the boats in its cavernous factory in Barrow-in-Furness on the Cumbrian coast. But despite the fanfare, it was also a reminder of the growing risks afflicting this most sensitive corner of the defense industry.

The HMS Anson, a fighter-killer submarine powered by a nuclear reactor but armed with conventional weapons, has been in the works for nearly a decade. It is years too late and far from being ready. It can take years