HMS Artful, the newest Astute class submarine, is currently preparing to leave the construction yard in Barrow-in-Furness for sea trials, before joining the Royal Navy fleet around the end of this year. The seven Astute Class submarines support the jobs of 3,700 workers and 400 supply companies across the UK supply chain.
The Astute class is the latest class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in service of the Royal Navy. The class sets a new standard for the Royal Navy in terms of weapons load, communication facilities and stealth. The boats are being constructed by BAE at Barrow-in-Furness. Seven boats will be constructed.
The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
“The Astute submarine programme is a key part of our £163 billion plan to ensure that our armed forces have the equipment they need. Artful will now join Ambush and Astute, helping to keep Britain safe. The next four boats are already under construction, securing thousands of jobs and showing our commitment to increase defence spending each year for the rest of the decade.”
Director Submarines at the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation, Rear Admiral Mike Wareham, said:
“The Astute Class are amongst the most advanced submarines operating in the world today and provide the Royal Navy with the capability it needs to defend UK interests at home and overseas.
We have learned many lessons from the build of the first two Astute Class submarines and Artful will soon be ready to leave Barrow and to commence operations as the newest Submarine in the Royal Navy.”
The 7,400-tonne submarine will soon leave the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria to conduct sea trials, before heading to its new home at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde in Scotland.
Perhaps Rear Admiral Mike Wareham should have a look at the following A black hole is an invisible killer star that destroys everything around it. There’s a different kind of black hole lurking under the oceans – a Russia submarine so stealthy that not even the American military can detect it. The US Navy openly acknowledges it cannot track the Novorossiysk-451 sub when it’s submerged.
In the wake of the “Black Hole” follows the “Beast from Beneath”, a state of the art Russian submarine that leaves the US Navy far behind. The Severodvinsk K-329 has been compared with the high-tech boomer that was taken over by a rogue Russian captain in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October.
Perhaps we should ask Admiralty Shipyards in Saint Petersburg to send over some engineers to UK
The sub carries 533 mm torpedoes and eight surface-to-air missiles, in addition to a new Caliber land attack cruise missile complex. Its tonnage is 4,000 tons; its underwater speed reaches 40 knots (37 km per hour), and its maximal submission is 300 meters. Its crew consists of 52 persons and it can fulfill its duty autonomously for 45 days.