The SSN-AUKUS submarines will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, combining world-leading sensors, design and weaponry in one common hull.
In September 2021, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States revealed a significant trilateral initiative known as AUKUS, with the aim of assisting Australia in obtaining conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs).
After an 18-month evaluation period to determine the most suitable approach for Australia to attain this capability, a model has been selected that is based on the UK’s leading-edge design and integrates advanced US submarine technology.
Both Australia and the UK will manufacture new submarines following this design, referred to as “SSN-AUKUS.” The UK’s submarines will primarily be constructed in Barrow-in-Furness, while Australia will focus on developing its submarine industrial base over the next decade. Australian submarines will be built in South Australia, with some components produced in the UK.
The first UK submarines utilising this design are expected to be delivered in the late 2030s to replace the current Astute-Class vessels, with Australia’s submarines scheduled to follow in the early 2040s.
The official statement on this reads:
“The combination of United Kingdom submarine design and advanced United States technology is intended to deliver a best-in-class submarine that meets Australia’s long-term defence needs while bolstering trilateral industrial cooperation. SSN-AUKUS will be the future attack submarine for both Australia and the United Kingdom.
Australia and the United Kingdom intend to start building SSN-AUKUS in their domestic shipyards before the end of this decade. The United Kingdom intends to deliver its first SSN-AUKUS to the UK Royal Navy in the late 2030s. Australia plans to deliver the first Australian-built SSN-AUKUS to the Royal Australian Navy in the early 2040s.”
Any specifics?
In January 2023, reports indicated that the submarines might feature a vertical launch system (VLS) for land-attack missiles. This would represent a new development for Royal Navy SSNs, as they currently employ torpedo tubes for launching land-attack missiles. Incorporating a VLS system is expected to enhance interoperability possibilities with the US Navy, particularly as future US land-attack missiles may not be compatible with horizontal launch options.
The submarines will also be powered by a Rolls-Royce pressurised water reactor.
How many will each country get?
Australia is looking for eight, and the UK is rumoured to be looking for at least 10, expanding the SSN fleet from seven.
This is excellent news for our Nuclear Submarine Industry. A long term strategic plan. And brings long term job security and growth to Barrow and Derby and the vast number of businesses in the supply chain.
It’s jolly goog news, but it’s a bloody long way off and governments change. 😎
Well hopefully someone with a brain wrote the AUKUS agreement so it will be so prohibitively expensive to pull out for any of the 3 nations.
Call me cynical but every platform I can think of has, between Concept and Delivery, had all three of:
If we actually get ten new SSNs starting in the late 2030s I’ll eat my hat.
How many Astutes did we originally plan for? Was there a plan on numbers?
AFAIK the Astute class was intended to replace both the Swiftsure (6) and Trafalgar (7) classes,obviously in pure numbers it won’t,im sure i read there was an expectation that 8 A boats were to be built.
Initially there was to be an entire new class coming after Astute 6 before successor SSBN but it was canceled in 2008. At the time 8 Astute were then expected but call me Dave decided to actually pay money to slow the build at Barrow to not have Astute 8.
Good times under Tory austerity but I’m sure it was all Labours fault some how 😀
I certainly think the RN will match the Aussies namely 8 SSN. Excellent if the UK could have one or two more. What with the change that has been going on with the appalling invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the fact the most potent part of the Russian Navy are there submarines, it’s possible there could be a slight increase in numbers. Hope so anyway, let’s wait and see.
Plan announced yesterday is for 15 Royal Navy SSN’s
Hi Jim. Where abouts did you see that report?
“The new submarines will replace the current seven nuclear-powered vessels used by the UK – but more could be added, taking the potential size of the fleet to 19.”
The Guardian 13th Mar 2023.
Believe that, if you want to…
Is that 15 SSN + 4 SSBN = 19 (all RN), or a total build of 19 AUKUS SSN? ie 11 RN SSN + 8 RAN SSN = 19 SSN total class build. I suspect it’s the latter.
Yes, any extra sub’s will be most welcome. If the RN could end up with 22 or 24 Destroyers and Frigates plus 10 or more SSN and of course the 4 SSBN sub’s, I would of thought that would be the right balance for the Royal Navy. Hope those figures can be achieved.
Thanks for the reply. I wonder if DJ is correct when he said that’s a total fleet build for the two navies. We will see.
👍
“The SSN-AUKUS submarines will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy”
So what’s wrong with the Astutes? Are they obsolete already?
Like most things, the next generation is always more advanced. Be it capability, lethality, even comfort. Cars are the classic example. What was a luxury extra 10 years ago, is now standard. Electro-optics have replaced the old periscope, increases in computing power and the advent of LED screens mean that more data can be processed quickly and displayed on more screens that take up less space. I don’t think that Astute still have CRT displays, but think how much room an old 24inch TV took up in the living room, and now you can have a 60 inch display TV stuck on the wall that is is perhaps only 4 inches deep. If it wasn’t more advanced, you wouldn’t bother building new.
Its not just the size of CRTs. They bang out a metric S**t tonne of wild heat that has to go somewhere. LCD screens are a lot cooler so the need for Air Con system capacity ( And size) is greatly reduced.
On a T23 with CRTs for the displays the Ops room was quite toasty …After LCD screens where fitted we where sat in there with Norgy tops on or wooly pullies.
Thanks Mark… oh I get that, however I thought ‘new military kit’ is future proofed as much as possible, as well as upgradable, in order to prolong the ‘shelf life’ of big stuff like subs, carriers, aircraft and land vehicles?
I wonder what the odds are of Canada and perhaps Japan joining AUKUS. If so we may see many more AUKUS SSNs in a few decades.
Canada can’t afford SSNs, though they would be appropriate for Arctic patrols. Japan is anti-nuke, so that’s not happening, and they have excellent SSKs.