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HMS Ambush [Photo: LA(Phot) Will Haigh/MOD)]
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The Astute class is the latest class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines (SSNs) in service with 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 Systems Maritime – Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness. The initial order quantity was three, but the UK MoD has ordered an additional four, meaning seven submarines will be built as part of the Astute Class.
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HMS Ambush [Photo: LA(Phot) Stu Hill/MOD]
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The Astute submarine has the latest stealth technology, a world-beating sonar system and is armed with 38 torpedoes and missiles - more than any previous Royal Navy submarine. She will be able to circumnavigate the globe while submerged, and advanced nuclear technology means that she will never need to be refuelled.
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HMS Ambush [Photo: LA(Phot) Stu Hill/MOD]
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The Astute Class is quieter than any of her predecessors and has the ability to operate covertly and remain undetected in almost all circumstances despite being fifty percent bigger than the Royal Navy’s current Trafalgar Class submarines.
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HMS Astute [Photo: WO(Phot) Ian Arthur/MOD]
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The first three Astute ships were named HMS Astute (S119), HMS Ambush (S120), and HMS Artful (S121). The fourth submarine was named HMS Audacious (S122). The fifth Astute Class submarine was named HMS Anson (S123) in September 2011. The sixth and seventh will be named HMS Agamemnon (S124) and HMS Ajax (S125) respectively.
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HMS Astute [Photo: LA(Phot) J Massey/MOD]
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An astute combat management system (ACMS) is being supplied by BAE Systems Insyte (formerly Alenia Marconi Systems) and is a development of the submarine command system (SMCS) currently in service in all classes of UK submarines.
ACMS receives data from the sonars and other sensors and, through advanced algorithms and data handling, displays real-time images on the command consoles. Factory acceptance of the operational software was received from the Astute Prime Contract Office in July 2002.
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Royal Navy Attack submarine HMS Astute fires a Tomahawk cruise missile during a testing mission near the USA. [Photo: POA(Phot) Paul Punter/MOD]
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The Astute class has stowage for 38 weapons and would typically carry a mix of Spearfish heavy torpedoes and Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles. The Tomahawk missiles are capable of hitting a target to within a few metres, to a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres).
Astute has six 533mm torpedo tubes and is equipped with Spearfish torpedoes and mines. There is capacity for a total of 36 torpedoes and missiles.
The Spearfish torpedo from BAE Systems is wire-guided with an active / passive homing head. The range is 65 km at 60 k. Spearfish is fitted with a directed-energy warhead.
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HMS Astute [Photo: LA(Phot) Paul Halliwell/MOD]
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The Astute Combat Management System is a new version of the Submarine Command System used on other classes of British submarine. The system receives data from the boat's sensors and displays the results on command consoles.
The submarines also have Atlas Hydrographic DESO 25 high-precision echosounders, two CM010 non-hull-penetrating optronic masts—in place of conventional periscopes—which carry thermal imaging and low-light TV and colour CCD TV sensors. The class also mounts a Successor IFF system.
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HMS Astute on the shiplift after launch.9 June 2007. [Photo: PoorTom]
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For detecting enemy ships and submarines, the Astute class is equipped with the sophisticated Sonar 2076, an integrated passive/active search and attack sonar suite with bow, intercept, flank and towed arrays. BAE claims that the 2076 is the world's best sonar system. All of the Astute-class submarines will be fitted with the advanced Common Combat System.
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HMS Astute [Photo: WO(Phot) Ian Arthur/MOD]
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The Astute class are powered by a Rolls-Royce PWR2 (Core H) (a pressurised water reactor) and fitted with a pump-jet propulsor. The PWR2 reactor was developed for the Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines and has a 25-year lifespan without the need for refuelling. As a result, the new submarines are about 30 per cent larger than previous British fleet submarines, which were powered by smaller-diameter reactors.
Like all Royal Navy submarines, the bridge fin of the Astute-class boats is specially reinforced to allow surfacing through ice caps. These submarines can also be fitted with a dry deck shelter, which allows special forces (e.g. SBS) to deploy whilst the submarine is submerged.
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HMS Ambush [Photo: LA(Phot) Will Haigh/MOD]
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The Astute class are designed to achieve a top speed of 29–30 knots (54–56 km/h), but it was reported in 2012 that this speed could not be reached in trials due to a mismatch between the reactor and the turbine.
However, in January 2015, the National Audit Office confirmed that demonstration of the top speed requirement (or Key Performance Measure (KPM)) for the Astute class was successful.
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HMS Ambush [Photo: CPOA(Phot) Thomas McDonald/MOD]
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General characteristics
Type: Nuclear-powered fleet submarine
Entered service: 2010
Displacement:
- Surfaced: 7,000 to 7,400 t (7,300 long tons; 8,200 short tons)
- Submerged: 7,400 to 7,800 t (7,700 long tons; 8,600 short tons)
Length: 97 m (318 ft 3 in)
Beam: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draught: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Propulsion: Rolls-Royce PWR 2 reactor, MTU 600 kilowatt diesel generators
Speed: 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph), submerged
Range: Unlimited
Endurance: Unlimited in terms of propulsion, air and water, but otherwise typically 90 days, based on the amount of food carried and endurance of the crew
Test depth: Over 300 m (984 ft 3 in)
Complement: 98 (capacity for 109)
Sensors and processing systems:
- Thales Sonar 2076
- Atlas DESO 25 echosounder
- 2 × Thales CM010 optronic masts Raytheon Successor IFF
Armament:
- 6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes with stowage for up to 38 weapons
- Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles
- Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes
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