Rolls-Royce Submarines

2024: Using Russian software

In early August 2024, it became known that British engineers of nuclear submarines use software developed in Russia and Belarus. This is said to be against British Ministry of Defence rules.

According to The Telegraph, specialized software was to be developed by programmers from Britain with access to classified information. But the implementation of the project was partially outsourced to developers in Siberia and Minsk. The investigation revealed that Rolls-Royce Submarines, which operates the British nuclear submarine fleet, subcontracted software development to digital consulting firm WM Reply. This company, in turn, attracted specialists from Belarus, one of whom actually worked from home in Siberia.

Rolls-Royce Submarines

Dr. Marion Messmer, senior researcher at the Chatham House think tank, said that the transfer of this kind of project to Belarusian and Russian developers poses a clear "national security risk." At the same time, a spokesman for Rolls-Royce Submarines says that classified information could not be at the disposal of third parties. It is alleged that WM Reply employees and their subcontractors did not have access to information on secure servers.

{{quote 'All our suppliers comply with strict safety requirements. After we were made aware of possible irregularities, and following a thorough internal investigation that concluded in 2021, Rolls-Royce Submarines ceased cooperation with WM Reply. We have not entered into any additional contracts with this company, "Rolls-Royce Submarines said in a statement quoted by The Telegraph^[1] }}

Notes