The Royal Navy has many issues currently, nearly all of which are due to a small budget that doesn’t allow it to build new warships or refurbish older vessels.
The Royal Navy has an outstanding platform in submarines that needs to be budgeted. Britain’s Astute-class submarines are the UK’s version of the US Virginia-class, and are exceptional in stealth, speed, and lethality.
Built by BAE Systems and equipped with powerful Rolls-Royce nuclear reactors that require minimal maintenance, they move silently at up to 30 knots.
Astute boats deploy Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles, enabling precise, long-range strikes. Advanced electronic warfare suites and sonar systems provide excellent survivability, while quieting technology makes them nearly undetectable.
A great feature of the Astute-class subs is that, like their American counterparts, they can deploy small Special Operations Forces scuba teams, from the Special Boat Service or SAS teams, using their stealth to sneak in close to an enemy shore to take out designated high-value targets.
History Of the Astute-Class Program
The Astute-class program began in February 1986, when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) launched several studies to determine the capabilities and requirements for replacing its Swiftsure and Trafalgar-class fleet submarines.
The Royal Navy and the US Navy worked within similar development program ideas. The US built the Seawolf class; the RN called their program project SSN20.
However, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the SSN20 program was canceled. New design parameters were set, and the new boat would be built upon the Trafalgar design. The key objective was now cost control.
This became known as the Batch 2 Trafalgar class (B2TC). The formal competition between GEC-Marconi/BMT Limited and VSEL/Rolls-Royce, with bids to be submitted in June 1995. GEC-Marconi and BMT had little experience with British submarine designs, whereas VSEL and Rolls-Royce were heavily involved in British nuclear submarine design and construction.
In November 1999, British Aerospace purchased GEC-Marconi and created BAE Systems. At the time of the takeover, the Vanguard class had been designed approximately 20 years earlier, and the last boats had already been launched.
Despite numerous delays and massive cost overruns, the first Astute was laid down in 2001. On June 8, 2007, Astute was launched, and boats 2 and 3 (Ambush and Artful) were at various stages of construction.
Procurement for boat 4 (Audacious) had been agreed upon a month earlier. Boats 5 and 6 (Anson and Agamemnon) were approved in March 2010.
In June 2012, the order was placed for the manufacture of the nuclear reactor for boat 7 (Achilles) and production of the first nuclear reactor for the Dreadnought-class submarine.
In 2023, as part of the joint planning within the AUKUS defence group, it was indicated that, from 2027, one Astute-class submarine would forward operate on rotation from HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.
Why The Royal Navy Needs The Astute Class Submarines:
The Royal Navy needs the Astute-class submarines to maintain a robust and versatile naval force that can address various threats, including counter-submarine warfare, long-range strike capabilities, and intelligence gathering. These submarines are crucial for the Royal Navy’s ability to project power, deter aggression, and contribute to global stability.
Clearly, the biggest mission this submarine needs to be ready for is a war with Russia.
The Astute-class is the UK’s largest and most advanced fleet of attack submarines, designed to engage enemy submarines and surface ships. In one simulated war game against an American Virginia-class submarine, USS New Mexico.
Royal Navy Commander Iain Breckenridge later said, “Our sonar is fantastic, and I have never before experienced holding a submarine at the range where we were holding USS New Mexico. The Americans were utterly taken aback, blown away by what they were seeing.”
They utilize advanced sonar and other sensors to detect and track enemy submarines, and the latest technologies to make them extremely difficult to detect, as evidenced by its exercise against the USS New Mexico.
They are equipped with Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles, enabling them to strike targets 1,000 miles inland with pinpoint accuracy. The Astute-class carries Spearfish torpedoes, a highly lethal weapon system designed to destroy enemy submarines.
Astute-class submarines are capable of operating in various environments, including the Arctic, and can perform a wide range of missions, from reconnaissance, strike missions, to special operations.
Different Than Virginia-class Boats But Extremely Capable:
The Astute Class are different than the US Virginia class. They are smaller, but that was by design. The British designed them to be stealthy and fast.
The armament carried by the Astute boats is impressive. There are six torpedo tubes for launching 38 Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes. Spearfish torpedoes have an 18-mile range and are deadly accurate with a powerful warhead.
The Tomahawk Block IV and the updated Block V land-attack cruise missiles have a range of about 1,000 miles. This is the main armament of the Astute-class, and they can make the enemy pay the price from long-range. The Tomahawks are good choices when the British do not want to deploy troops or military hardware to a warzone.
A dry deck structure is used to infiltrate or exfiltrate Special Boat Service special operators. And the 39,000 anechoic tiles keep the Astute boats “as quiet as a baby dolphin.”
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications
