• When it comes to submarine acquisition, ‘Truly Off-The-Shelf' and ‘Truly Bespoke' options seldom if ever exist.

• It would be better for acquisition programmes to think in terms of ‘Made-To Measure' where the only real choice is how far the final design can be allowed to deviate from an original proven, in-service design.

• It is likely that the decision will be the result of financial, geographic and political factors that are beyond the influence of the acquisition project.

• Those factors should already be known in advance and addressing them before the start of the project could significantly increase the likelihood of success.