Arise Anson- Royal Navy’s latest Astute Class attack submarine
The fifth of its type, the advanced nuclear technology-driven Anson makes its own oxygen, fresh water and never needs to be refuelled
The Royal Navy’s new Astute Class attack submarine has officially been named Anson. Although this is the first submarine which will bear the name HMS Anson, it is the eighth naval vessel to carry the title which has a rich history spanning several hundred years.
The last HMS Anson (1942–1951) was a King George V-class battleship, which saw active service in the Second World War. All eight Anson vessels have been named after an Admiral of the Fleet, George Anson (1697–1762), who commanded at the first battle of Cape Finisterre and was First Lord of the Admiralty during the ‘7 Years War.’ The newest of the Astute submarines is definitely one to wow too.
Powered by advanced nuclear technology, the Astute Class submarines never need to be refuelled. The brilliantly capable and agile boats can circumnavigate the world without surfacing and are limited only by the amount of food that can be stored and the endurance of the crew. The submarines manufacture their own oxygen and fresh water from the ocean.
Astute is the first class of Royal Navy submarines not to be fitted with optical periscopes. Instead, they use high-specification video technology with images delivered into the submarine control room via fibre-optic cables.
BAE Systems Submarines is responsible for the design, build, testing and commissioning of the seven-strong Astute fleet. The Astute and new Dreadnought class programmes support 9,000 jobs at the shipyard in Barrow, Cumbria and thousands more across the UK supply chain.
Based at HMNB Clyde in Scotland, sister boats HMS Astute, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful are already in service, contributing to operations and supporting the Continuous at Sea Deterrent. HMS Audacious, the fourth of class, left Barrow earlier this year and is currently undergoing sea trials.
Boats six and seven — HMS Agamemnon and HMS Agincourt — are currently in construction at the Barrow shipyard.
This is an exciting time for UK shipbuilding in Defence. With the latest investment of £16.5 billion in the UK’s Armed Forces over four years, the funding will help support the revitalisation and expansion of Royal Navy vessels.
More widely, through investing in the building of new and innovative technology, equipment and skills, Defence already injects over £19 billion into industry every year. This secures more than 300,000 jobs across the UK, helping to level up the economy and helping communities to build back better from Coronavirus.
