Astute-class submarine
Astute class submarine (artist's conception) | |
| United Kingdom | 
|
|---|---|
| Operators: |  |
| Preceding class: | Trafalgar-class |
| In service: | 2009 (planned) |
| Boats in Class | |
| Boats building: | Astute, Ambush, Artful |
| General Characteristics | |
| Class type: | Nuclear-powered attack submarine |
| Displacement: | 7,800 tonnes submerged |
| Length: | 97 m (323 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.3 m (37 ft) |
| Draught: | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Propulsion and power: | Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactor (with full submarine life core), MAN (Paxman) 1900 kilowatt diesel generator |
| Speed: | 29 knots (54 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth: | 300 m |
| Complement: | 98 officers and men normally, capacity of 109 |
| Armament: | 6 x 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 38 Spearfish torpedoes, UGM-84 Harpoon and Tomahawk Block III cruise missiles, naval mines |
| Sensors: | Thales Underwater Systems Sonar 2076 Atlas Hydrographic DESO 25 depth-finding echosounder 2 x Thales Optronics CM010 periscopes Raytheon Systems Ltd Successor IFF system |
The Astute class submarines are the next generation nuclear attack submarines of the Royal Navy. When completed, the boats will comprise the largest nuclear-powered attack submarines the service has fielded.
Background
As the Swiftsure-class submarines aged, the Royal Navy began to design their replacements. The original design called for large submarines designed for blue-water operations. Feasibility studies began in 1986 and were completed by 1989. A design contract was placed with Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd. (VSEL) in 1987, but with the end of the Cold War the project was cancelled in 1992. Emphasis switched to the production of a second batch of Trafalgar-class submarines (Batch 2 Trafalgar Class or B2TC). However the development was extremely slow and initial tenders received from VSEL in June 1995 were too expensive.
Meanwhile, the Royal Navy has changed its submarine-employment strategy from the Cold War emphasis on anti-submarine warfare to the concept of "Maritime Contributions to Joint Operations." The proposed replacement boats were redesigned; the primary mission of the Astute class became direct support of surface forces.
Original plans were for seven boats of the Astute class to replace five Swiftsure-class submarines (Sovereign, Superb, Sceptre, Spartan, and Splendid) and the two oldest Trafalgar-class boats (Trafalgar and Turbulent). Plans, however, have been scaled back. The Swiftsure-class will be entirely decommissioned by 2010, when only the first of the Astute-class will be coming into service. HMS Trafalgar is to be decommissioned in 2008, followed by HMS Turbulent in 2011.
History
Contract award
On March 17, 1997, The Ministry of Defence announced that it was to place a £2 billion order for three submarines and further that they would be called the Astute class. On March 26, 1997, the contract was signed with GEC-Marconi Limited for the first three boats: Astute, Ambush, and Artful. These names were last given to Amphion-class submarines that entered service towards the end of World War II. GEC would build the submarines at its VSEL subsidiary (now BAE Systems Submarines).
Astute-class boats will be powered by a Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactor and fitted with a pump-jet propulsor. The PWR2 reactor was developed for Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines. As a result Astute-class boats are about 30 per cent larger than previous British attack submarines, which were powered by smaller reactors. It will be the first Royal Navy submarine class to have a bunk for each member of the ship's company, ending the practice of 'hot bunking', whereby two sailors on opposite watches shared the same bunk.
Like all Royal Navy submarines, the fin of the Astute-class boats will be reinforced to allow surfacing through ice caps. They can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles from their launch tubes, including the new "tactical Tomahawk" currently under development. According to the MOD around 5,500 people are presently employed in the Astute building programme.
Delays
The Astute class was expected to be built roughly one-fifth more quickly than earlier boats, with lower running costs and a much smaller ship’s company. In the event however the programme has slipped by 4 years and has a predicted cost overrun of £1 billion,[1] and required a U.S. engineering management team from General Dynamics Electric Boat to be brought in to resolve programme problems.[2] The UK House of Commons Defence Committee, in July 2004, estimated the cost of Astute as £3,498 million compared to £2,578 million approved at Main Gate.[3] Furthermore they noted that the predicted in-service date was January 2009 compared to the date of June 2005 approved at Main Gate. A £164 million cost increase was disclosed in a National Audit Office report in November 2006. However the NAO noted the in-service date was then ahead of schedule compared to the revised in-service date.[4]
BAE Systems has indicated that the Astute submarine project has maintained its improved performance, with all the key milestones for the first six months of 2006 being achieved on or ahead of plan. A key 2006 milestone, electrical power to switchboards, was achieved enabling commissioning activity on the submarine to commence. BAE Systems has announced 8 June 2007 as the launch date for HMS Astute, which means the Navy's most advanced vessel will go into the water seven weeks ahead of the latest schedule. Work on the second submarine, Ambush, is also proceeding well with major milestones such as the closure of the reactor compartment, demonstrating significant schedule advance compared with Astute. BAE and the MoD have made efforts to reduce costs and achieved significant cost-cutting and productivity gains.[4]
Further orders
As of 28 August 2006 BAE are currently negotiating for a contract to build another four Astute class submarines.[5] British Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram, has announced a further advance in the Astute Class submarine programme, with preparations for a further SSN underway. The Minister told MPs:
We are working with industry as part of the Defence Industrial Strategy to achieve an affordable and sustainable submarine programme. In support of this we have ordered long-lead items for Boat Four.
BAE Systems Submarines has ordered long-lead items for a fourth boat, although it has still not been ordered by the Ministry of Defence. In March 2007, DefenseNews.com reported that a final price for boats 2 & 3 had been reached, and that a formal order for the 4th Astute would be likely to follow.[6]
Boats
| Name | Pennant number | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astute | S119 | 31st January 2001 | 8th June 2007 [7] | 2009 |
| Ambush | S120 | 22nd October 2003 | ? | 2010 |
| Artful | S121 | 11th March 2005 | ? | 2012 |
| HMS ??? | S122 | (Long-lead items purchased) | ? | ? |
General characteristics
- Sensors:
- Thales Underwater Systems Sonar 2076
- Atlas Hydrographic DESO 25 depth-finding echosounder
- Two Thales Optronics CM010 periscopes
- Raytheon Systems Ltd Successor IFF system
External links
References
- ^ Committee of Public Accounts (21 July 2004). "Public Accounts - Forty-Third Report". The Stationery Office. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
- ^ "US team to work on submarine order". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
- ^ "Progress on key projects". Select Committee on Defence Sixth Report. www.parliament.uk. 2004. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
- ^ a b Boxell, James (2006-11-24). "Royal Navy's weapons projects affected by delays and cost troubles". Financial Times. The Financial Times Limited. p. 2.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "New nuclear sub is lifeline for Barrow". BBC News Online. 2006-08-28. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "U.K., BAE Agree on Nuclear Submarine Costs". DefenseNews.com. 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "BAE Systems announces new early launch date for Astute". BAE Systems. 2006-05-26. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
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