HMS Astute has returned to sea, marking the end of a 100-day period with no British attack submarines at sea, since HMS Triumph, the last such submarine, was operational.

Following its own 307-day maintenance and upgrade period, HMS Astute’s return signifies a crucial step in restoring the Royal Navy’s submarine operational capacity.

As HMS Astute begins to reenter service, it is likely undertaking a series of trials and necessary tasks to bring the crew and vessel up to full operational standards. This phase is critical for ensuring that both the submarine and its crew are adequately prepared for their duties after a significant period of downtime.

This period of inactivity highlights the Royal Navy’s challenges in maintaining its submarine fleet’s operational readiness due to a maintenance backlog. HMS Anson, another Astute-class submarine, completed its post-trials operations on April 20th and was the last of the Astute-class to be at sea prior to HMS Astute’s return.

Please note, readers, that the Vanguard fleet, carrying the Continuous At Sea Deterrent, continues to meet its obligations. The Astute-class submarines are particularly vital for intelligence operations and maintaining a strategic underwater presence.

According to the data, the inactivity is largely due to ongoing maintenance and refitting operations. Efforts are underway to resolve this through projects for new floating dry docks aimed at addressing the maintenance bottleneck.

A Royal Navy spokesperson added, “To maintain operational security, we do not comment on the details of submarine operations. The Royal Navy has delivered the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent without fail for the last 55 years. British waters are always fully protected with a range of assets including warships, patrol aircraft, and submarines.”

If you’re reading this story and thinking about reporting this story based on the information in ours, please include a link back.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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Andy reeves
Andy reeves (@guest_860724)
13 days ago

what an appalling statistics this makes mine, and doubt everybody else’s blood boil.

Mark B
Mark B (@guest_860737)
13 days ago
Reply to  Andy reeves

To be fair Anson could have, and probably still can, put to sea at any point. Also I suspect that there is not much wrong with many of the other Astutes. If push comes to shove I suspect many of them would put to sea and manage to fullfil thie primary role.

It would be good to see the dry dock back in working order and reducing the backlog of repairs – it’s annoying but my blood is not boiling just yet.

Jim
Jim (@guest_860742)
13 days ago
Reply to  Mark B

I agree, it’s unlikely there is anything wrong with most of the boats, better having them in dock and near home with Russia kicking off and lack of maintenance facilities. The US has identical issues at the moment.

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky (@guest_860751)
13 days ago
Reply to  Jim

Mind you as many claim it’s their exclusive job to actually sink surface ships rather than our own surface ships then it is rather important as many as possible actually are at sea, or at least ready to.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860832)
12 days ago
Reply to  Spyinthesky

To my mind their main job is ASW. If we need to do sea denial with them then the capability is there.

Louis
Louis (@guest_860940)
12 days ago

We have multiple other ASW options out there though.

How many ASuW options do we have?

Other than 4.5 inch on destroyers and frigates I genuinely can’t think of another. Paveway IV maybe?

Obviously the most important mission of the RNs submarines is to protect the deterrent, but the primary means of destroying enemy ships is still by submarines or aircraft. That the UK can currently guarantee neither is a sign of how bad it is.

Paul T
Paul T (@guest_861020)
12 days ago
Reply to  Louis

P8 can use Harpoon,NSM will get fitted to more Ships in due course,its not great but it is something.

Dan
Dan (@guest_860757)
13 days ago
Reply to  Jim

I’m willing to bet the US has at least one attack sub deployed at sea all the time and probably many more than that. They continue to do most of the heavy lifting for the allies.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_860762)
13 days ago
Reply to  Jim

You are joking?

Andy reeves
Andy reeves (@guest_860867)
12 days ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

🤐🤐

James Morton
James Morton (@guest_860767)
13 days ago
Reply to  Jim

For what it’s worth, I agree entirely. There’s also a reason why it’s called the silent service…. Not sure that being an “armchair Admiral” and making adverse comments from the side lines is helpful. I am confident in the professionalism of the RN and their ability to guard the freedom of us all. (As always.) Outside the corridors of power, we can’t possibly understand the full strategic position. Jamie

Nick
Nick (@guest_860769)
13 days ago
Reply to  Jim

This was my thought, too. If Russia kicks off a surprise Northern Fleet operation of some kind, better to have the bulk of the submarines available to start new patrols.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay (@guest_860797)
13 days ago
Reply to  Nick

Russia doesn’t have anything like the resources for such an operation.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke (@guest_860813)
13 days ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

Doesn’t stop it playing submarine games.

Subs are the Russian’s best assets.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay (@guest_861027)
12 days ago

The last Russia boat that came our way had a tug following it. That pretty much says it all.

Sceptical Richard
Sceptical Richard (@guest_860829)
12 days ago
Reply to  Mark B

If they had the crews for them. Ironically I suspect the burden of keeping CASD going without interruption has severely impacted the rest of the branch

Redshift
Redshift (@guest_860864)
12 days ago

Please explain how this has changed? We have had a permanent deterrent at sea since the 70s how has it suddenly impacted manpower today in 2024?

Paul T
Paul T (@guest_861018)
12 days ago
Reply to  Redshift

Because the RN headcount has been on a downward spiral – recruitment and retention are a massive problem,especially for Nuclear Trained Specialities.

Redshift
Redshift (@guest_861019)
12 days ago
Reply to  Paul T

So nothing at all to do with CASD, but recruitment and retention. So do try to speak honestly about the problem you “think” that you can sea (sea what I did there)

Paul T
Paul T (@guest_861122)
12 days ago
Reply to  Redshift

CASD obviously has to take priority with Crewing requirements,sometimes to the detriment of SSN Operations – i’d say that does have something to do with CASD 🤔

Robert Blay
Robert Blay (@guest_860744)
13 days ago
Reply to  Andy reeves

Ita good news Astute is back at sea.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860833)
12 days ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

It is. And still some can only ever see the negative, even with this single boat.
It’s a positive step and things will improve.

Exroyal.
Exroyal. (@guest_860806)
13 days ago
Reply to  Andy reeves

Could not agree more. Looks like the garage commitment has been parked up along with the fleet. So SF is probably relying solely on US for training. That’s all well and good for SF, however our boat crews are not keeping their launch and recovery skills current.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860834)
12 days ago
Reply to  Exroyal.

It’s not great on that front, no.
As there are other insertion methods i assume its low on their priority list?

Exroyal.
Exroyal. (@guest_860902)
12 days ago

The Daily Telegraph had an interesting article late April of this year. Based on an article of the Florida SSGN transiting the Suez Canal with garage. At the time I thought it was clearly done to send a message. The article was based on just that theory. The USN took big steps to make it as public as possible. We have not had even that ability for some time now or are likely to soon. You gap capability at the danger of losing it. The RFA being another case in point. Small things taken individually but put together mean much… Read more »

Order of the Ditch
Order of the Ditch (@guest_860735)
13 days ago

Hopefully a corner has been turned and submarine availability will continue to improve.

ChariotRider
ChariotRider (@guest_860748)
13 days ago

I’ll second that!

Cheers CR

Tom
Tom (@guest_860740)
13 days ago

So one attack boat is back at sea. 😠

Redshift
Redshift (@guest_860865)
12 days ago
Reply to  Tom

The first “one” to leave base was always going to be “one” or were you expecting three to leave all at once on the same day? Or even same month? How would that help getting back to a sensible rotation?

Tom
Tom (@guest_860939)
12 days ago
Reply to  Redshift

Yes more should have left at once, scattered to the four winds, submerged and gone about their ‘wiley’ business!

It’s not about rotation, it’s being seen to have those boats, those capabilities at sea, not knowing where they are!

ABCRodney
ABCRodney (@guest_860741)
13 days ago

Unlike some who will deplore the situation we are. I’m just going to say welcome back Astute and our political masters for 30 years of inept, incompetent dithering that led and her Sister boats without the proper facilities to keep you maintained. However I would also point out that perhaps the RN Admirals should have paid more attention to infrastructure than just political games with the other services together more ships things might have been better. I’ve looked at the timelines and irony of irony the uplift in infrastructure investment started off in TM’s period in office and we had… Read more »

Jim
Jim (@guest_860752)
13 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

Makes a lot of sense to buy up Inchgreen especially if we plan to greatly expand the SSN fleet and have the possibility for supporting more USN vessels.

Naval Drydocks that can handle SSN seem to cost billions to build now a days and an opportunity to buy up such a facility should not be overlooked.

Robert Blay
Robert Blay (@guest_860801)
13 days ago
Reply to  Jim

Be careful with thoughts of a big expansion. Until something is officially announced or the requirement for a certain number of boats has been made official. I’d assume the number of SSN A will be 7. Hopefully it will be 8-10. But until it’s official. I wouldn’t get your hopes up to much.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860816)
13 days ago
Reply to  Robert Blay

Exactly. The new minimum is always the new benchmark.
Which is why I wonder if parts of AUKUS are worth it when we end up with 7, no real increase, and yet more assets lost elsewhere in cuts to fund, primarily, industry. Again.
I’m waiting for it.
It’ll be the same with Tempest, if Starmer can stand it.

ABCRodney
ABCRodney (@guest_860836)
12 days ago

Daniele, I doubt that anyone can accurately say with any degree of certainty what the future size of the RN Submarine fleet will be. In many ways the linear way of thinking about capability vs budget has just gone straight out the nearest window. Our experience of the last 30 years has been Capability goes up, so costs go up, which means we can afford fewer which in turn forces costs up again and so on in perpetuity. My best guesstimate is we will not have any real answers for a couple of years and that will all depend on… Read more »

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860860)
12 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

Thanks for that mate.
I still think we end up with 7 Boats!
HMG is only interested in big industry.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF (@guest_860873)
12 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

Somewhat confidently predict that USN SSN(X) will become SSN-A2, followed by RN SSN-A3, in due course. 🤔

Meirion X
Meirion X (@guest_861077)
12 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

“…do exactly the opposite and offer to sell 8 to fund Tax cuts for Elon and Co…”

Not possible, without a majority in Congress!
And unlikely Repubs will get a majority.

Last edited 12 days ago by Meirion X
Meirion X
Meirion X (@guest_864594)
12 hours ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

The RAN will struggle to crew more than six SSN(A).

Robert Blay
Robert Blay (@guest_861028)
12 days ago

It’s about calming expectations. Otherwise, people are going to be very disappointed. I certainly believe the RN would like more boats. But as always, it comes down to the available budget. Plus increasing manning is always very challenging for the silent service.

Andy Peters
Andy Peters (@guest_860842)
12 days ago
Reply to  Jim

I’ll hold my breath on your “Big expansion”

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860753)
13 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

It seems such a no brainer mate?

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke (@guest_860760)
13 days ago

Inch green can’t take QEC the cill is too high.

As for nuclear – no chance. It isn’t certified. It is massive, which is actually an issue – you don’t want a massive dock for nuclear you want a snug fit. It has no segregated sump system – so no way of storing contaminated water is something went wrong. The dock probably isn’t watertight either way. There are no facilities and no workforce. Does it even still have pumps? I’ve no idea!!

Jonno
Jonno (@guest_860770)
13 days ago

Never say never, you have to start somewhere and be a Cando nation again. I think its probably an excellent idea.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF (@guest_860773)
13 days ago

Possibility of grant of nuclear surety waiver(s)? Probably not politically feasible during peacetime, but could become feasible upon commencement of hostilities. 🤔

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke (@guest_860815)
13 days ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

The days of the Crown doing that kind of thing have faded.

There was a time when all that had to be said was MoD / Official Secrets Act / Defence of the Realm and that overrode everything else.

Not these days. Now that MoD falls under the useless Health and Safety regimes.*

I love Health and Safety but not UK style.

ABCRodney
ABCRodney (@guest_860838)
12 days ago

The days are over for the Crown doing that sort of thing ? Maybe we are more subtle about it but we seem to have Nationalised SFM without a whisper.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860819)
13 days ago

I have no idea either. And I had no idea on any of that detail. It must have some use as a national strategic asset?

ABCRodney
ABCRodney (@guest_860837)
12 days ago

I know the pumps are still there, it is watertight but that’s about it. All facilities were removed by present owners. As far as I’m aware no Drydock in UK we’re built Nuclear Certified all have had to be converted for use.
As for the Cill height yes it’s higher than Rosyth but so is the tidal variance in the Clyde.
Spookily one of its last uses was building the floating jetty for Faslane.

Quentin D63
Quentin D63 (@guest_860756)
13 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

Good one. And if the MOD ever reads all the contributors to the SDR and not just who’ve they’ve appointed they might find some gem comments from the UKDJ and take yours and others suggestions up.

Last edited 13 days ago by Quentin D63
Gfor
Gfor (@guest_860820)
13 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

It would take more investment to upgrade it rather than building from scratch unfortunately.
Rules that have to be followed, including earthquake proofing the structure for those frequent events we apparently have rented the upgrades highly impractical and cost prohibitive.
Our government has implemented these outlandish rules in the guise of the nuclear regulator, whereas China, North Korea and Russia seem to be less risk averse.
In addition, I wouldn’t have another facility in the Clyde area, eggs in one basket and all that. Falmouth would be a better 3rd submarine facility, good shelter and access to the western approaches.

Ron
Ron (@guest_860746)
13 days ago

I still have one concern the dry docks. Will they or are they designed capable to take the future SSN-AUKUS. My understanding is that the future SSN-As will be a much bigger boat.

ABCRodney
ABCRodney (@guest_860759)
13 days ago
Reply to  Ron

Well if you are referring to the Floating docks they are to be capable of handling a Dreadnought and an SSN(A) isn’t going to be that big. If you mean Inchgreen it was built to be able to handle a US CVN, so yep plenty big enough. Floating docks have their advantages in that they can be moved, but quite where we can build them in the UK could be an issue. To me it makes more sense to re acquire assets that we the Tax payers funded in the 1st place and are capable of far more than sitting… Read more »

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF (@guest_860774)
13 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

Never realized before that Inchgreen was designed to be able to accommodate a USN CVN. Some bloke down at the Admiralty must have been guilty of indulging in forward planning. 🤔😳😉

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke (@guest_860818)
13 days ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

But it was never nuclear licensed so the forward planning failed at that point!

It was really developed to try and get the UK into constructing super tankers in an era when Shell and BP were national champions and big spenders and before they were fully privatised.

Needless to say that never worked.

Jonathan
Jonathan (@guest_860827)
13 days ago
Reply to  Ron

Yes dock 10 is huge as in capital ship sized.

so Devonport will have

dock 9 SSBN sized dedicated for SSBNs
Dock 10 SSBN sized ( beyond any potential nuclear sub size) for both SSN and SSBN refit
Dock 15 specific Asute dock.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF (@guest_860869)
12 days ago
Reply to  Ron

Per description included in recent NL article (12 Sep 24). SSN-A will probably be able to be accommodated w/in Dry Dock Nos. 9&10 of HNMB Devonport. Capacity to accomodate SSN-A class w/in Dry Dock No. 15 perhaps to some extent more ambiguous.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF (@guest_861012)
12 days ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

…HMNB…🤔 (dyslexia or fat fingers?)

Jonathan
Jonathan (@guest_860755)
13 days ago

Remember as well the RN will be be getting a new SSN commissioned in 2025 and then another in 2026. So even with the maintenance backlog the RN will have a lot of more give to sort out the issues with the 2 new SSNs.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_860761)
13 days ago

A whole submarine. Wow. It’ll probably be back in a week when the crew fall out with each other.😷

Bazza
Bazza (@guest_860765)
13 days ago

I want to know how we managed to have 2/4 docks under maintenance at once. That seems like it was always going to go wrong.

Frank62
Frank62 (@guest_860776)
13 days ago

Maybe the point for those who think surface threats can be dealt with by our subs, allowing a tiny escort force, is that with such a tinier sub fleet that’s just wishful thinking. 7 subs means even 3 operational is pretty good & usually less probable. 0 available for so long really underlines our weakness.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli (@guest_860835)
12 days ago
Reply to  Frank62

Surface threats should be primarily dealt with by air assets.
So an air launched ASM.

Frank62
Frank62 (@guest_861007)
12 days ago

Indeed Danieie. A vital capability anyone with an ounce of sense should see.

John
John (@guest_860811)
13 days ago

Still, one is better than none. Time to really kick some arse over this issue. And a few others. Given the incompetence of politicians, MoD, Treasury and other clowns in the circus? Don’t hold your breath.

Nick Paton
Nick Paton (@guest_860812)
13 days ago

Congratulations!

Mark T.
Mark T. (@guest_860823)
13 days ago

Is it a lack of serviceable submarines or the lack of sailors to run them?

Levi Goldsteinberg
Levi Goldsteinberg (@guest_860824)
13 days ago
Reply to  Mark T.

None – it’s dock infrastructure that coincidentally broke down or is being replaced at the same time

Adrian
Adrian (@guest_860979)
12 days ago

This is the noticable sign of the reduced fleet numbers across the navy, we fall off the edge of the Cliff like other countries do all the time (particularly European). Yes a special set of circumstances but in all ship types it’s liable to happen – even the new frigates will struggle to get numbers to sea. 6 destroyers, 2 at sea is maximum sustainable – 3 will be at times and 1 others 8 type 26 – 3 at sea 5 type 31- 2 at sea 7 Astutes – 2 at sea That is probably the best sustainable deployments… Read more »

Adrian
Adrian (@guest_860980)
12 days ago
Reply to  Adrian

Just to note if we ever went to war those numbers would turn into surge numbers for a limited period of time.