Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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Lugzy
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by Lugzy »

£1.3b contract signed for the next Astute class submarine.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/13bn ... -submarine

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Cooper
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by Cooper »

Lugzy wrote:£1.3b contract signed for the next Astute class submarine.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/13bn ... -submarine
I'd be impressed if just one of these idiot politicians acknowledged the fact that seven boats is not enough, the RN needs a 10-12 strong Astute force.

Seven boats means that there will never be more than four actually available at any one time, and even that's a best case scenario.


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shark bait
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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Lugzy wrote:£1.3b contract signed for the next Astute class submarine.
Wow that's a lot of money!
How come the last one costs the most?
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shark bait
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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The Armchair Soldier wrote:Is the seventh one even confirmed to arrive in service?
Pretty sure it was in the manifesto

Cooper wrote: I'd be impressed if just one of these idiot politicians acknowledged the fact that seven boats is not enough, the RN needs a 10-12 strong Astute force.
Agree we need more. However even if the funds where available, the entire economics of building extras just won't work out.

Perhaps SSK's could provide some extra utility.
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Gabriele
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by Gabriele »

The Armchair Soldier wrote:Is the seventh one even confirmed to arrive in service?
Yes, it is in the plan and some long lead orders have already been placed.
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Cooper
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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shark bait wrote: Agree we need more. However even if the funds where available, the entire economics of building extras just won't work out.
We couldn't even if the money was there...the new Trident boats will take all of the submarine construction capacity we have after the seventh boat is completed.

More Astute's would mean years of delays to the new SSBN.

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shark bait
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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Cooper wrote: We couldn't even if the money was there...the new Trident boats will take all of the submarine construction capacity we have after the seventh boat is completed.

More Astute's would mean years of delays to the new SSBN.

Yep, that's what I meant by the economics of it not working out. It would be a logistical nightmare!

As much as I would like it there is very little chance of extra astutes.
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by SKB »

The seventh and final Astute class submarine will be named HMS Ajax (SS125). Expected delivery in 2024

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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by Jessie »

Talk about not doing your research before writing an article!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-35088144


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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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shark bait
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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Sounds like the final astute is no longer called Ajax, because the army stole the name perhaps.

The build time for the Astute class submarines has reduced with every boat built to date. HMS Agamemnon and the yet to be named Boat 7 are both at a very early stage of construction. However, as published in the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2015, their expected operational handover dates are May 2022 and March 2024 respectively.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id ... gHL4049.r0
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by SKB »

A is for Ark Royal... ?

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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by JayDee »

shark bait wrote:HMS Agamemnon
That's a great name.

I vote for apollo, HMS Apollo.

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Engaging Strategy
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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SKB wrote:A is for Ark Royal... ?
Audacious, Arrow and Argonaut would be my shortlist, Ark Royal's just too iconic a carrier name to use it for a submarine imo.
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SKB
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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Alternator ;)

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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by RetroSicotte »

Personally, I would be very fond of HMS Acheron making a return.

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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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3rd Astute Class SSN Submarine HMS Artful Fires 1st Torpedo Using New Common Combat System
The Royal Navy’s latest and most advanced Astute class submarine, Artful, has test fired her first torpedo using a new Common Combat System designed and integrated by our Submarines business.

The Common Combat System acts as the submarine’s ‘brain’ – controlling its ‘eyes’, ‘ears’ and ‘nervous system’. Artful, the third in the Astute class family, is the first to use this new technology which is now being retrofitted to earlier Astute class submarines. Work will soon begin to also retrofit Vanguard class submarines.
http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=3628

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shark bait
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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Good news for the new system, Common Combat System using commercial components is a great step forward, and good to see its up and running.

I was thinking about the Astute today. Given the Australians requirement is for 12 subs, and assuming their reasoning is sound could we say our requirement in reality close to 12, but we are financially and industrially constrained to 7 Astutes.

We are both strong allies living under the wings of the Americans striving for interoperability with them. We both have neighbours in our back yard that are prolific operators of nuclear subs. We are both island nations who are largely responsible for the maritime security of their religion. Yet we have the greater industry and GDP and only have 7. Again assuming they have sound reasoning it would make sense to assume our real requirement is much more than 7. Should we look to increase our ambitions and match the Australians?

of course we would have to wait until the completion of the successor program or acquire a batch of SSK's.
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Engaging Strategy
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

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shark bait wrote:I was thinking about the Astute today. Given the Australians requirement is for 12 subs, and assuming their reasoning is sound could we say our requirement in reality close to 12, but we are financially and industrially constrained to 7 Astutes.
During the 80s I believe the requirement was for about 12 SSNs with an aspiration for about 15. Under these less strenuous conditions I think ten is probably a reasonable aspiration. It's what we decided on when the Astutes were first planned, but serious delays in production reduced it to seven. Under more "normal" circumstances, with a little better management of the SSN/SSBN production schedule, I think we could comfortably churn out a run of ten SSNs if the money was there.
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by hopper »

Engaging Strategy wrote:
SKB wrote:A is for Ark Royal... ?
Audacious, Arrow and Argonaut would be my shortlist, Ark Royal's just too iconic a carrier name to use it for a submarine imo.


Isn`t Audacious boat 4 ?

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Gabriele
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by Gabriele »

It is.
They curiously haven't yet firmed up the name for the 7th Astute. I'm wondering if the name Ajax having been taken by the Army for the Scout will cause a Navy rethink, at this point...
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GibMariner
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Re: Astute Class Attack Submarine (SSN) (RN)

Post by GibMariner »

Engaging Strategy wrote:
shark bait wrote:I was thinking about the Astute today. Given the Australians requirement is for 12 subs, and assuming their reasoning is sound could we say our requirement in reality close to 12, but we are financially and industrially constrained to 7 Astutes.
During the 80s I believe the requirement was for about 12 SSNs with an aspiration for about 15. Under these less strenuous conditions I think ten is probably a reasonable aspiration. It's what we decided on when the Astutes were first planned, but serious delays in production reduced it to seven. Under more "normal" circumstances, with a little better management of the SSN/SSBN production schedule, I think we could comfortably churn out a run of ten SSNs if the money was there.
Until HMS Dreadnought was decommissioned, I believe there was a planning assumption for 18 nuclear boats + SSKs. The 1981 Defence White Paper stated that there were 12 SSNs in service and would go up to 17 + SSKs. The 12 figure came with the decommissioning of all the Valiant and Churchill-class boats and HMS Swiftsure in the post-Cold War "peace dividend" changes. This left 5 Swiftsure and 7 Trafalgar-class SSNs, for a total of 12. The 1998 SDR reduced the SSN force from 12 to 10.

IIRC, the 1990 Options for Change review called for 16 submarines, three quarters of which would be nuclear-powered (plus the 4 Trident boats) - which would be the 5 Swiftsure, 7 Trafalgar and 4 Upholder.

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