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Key Points: The UK’s Dreadnought-class submarines are poised to be the Royal Navy’s most advanced and stealthiest nuclear-powered vessels, replacing the Vanguard-class.

-Equipped with X-rudders, pumpjet propulsion, and a Rolls-Royce PWR3 reactor, these submarines emphasize reduced noise, extended service life, and minimal maintenance.

-The Dreadnoughts share design elements with the U.S. Columbia-class, including the Common Missile Compartment for Trident II D5 missiles.

-Additional features, like turbo-electric drives and anechoic tiles, further enhance stealth. With 12 missile tubes and four torpedo tubes, these subs form a critical part of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

-Their development underscores the UK’s response to evolving global threats.

Dreadnought-Class: The UK’s Most Advanced Nuclear Submarine Yet

Plying the seas deep underwater, submarines are incredibly hard to detect and challenging to sink: prized for being very silent, some submarines also benefit from nuclear propulsion, making range contingent not on fuel supplies but instead on the amount of onboard food for the sub’s crew.

The Royal Navy’s upcoming Dreadnought-class is no exception: nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed, the new submarine class will be the most advanced submarine ever made for the United Kingdom.

The Dreadnought-class replaces the United Kingdom’s older Vanguard-class boat. Like the new Dreadnoughts, the Vanguards are responsible for maintaining the United Kingdom’s sea-based nuclear deterrence as the underwater let of London’s nuclear triad.

The new class of submarines features several radical improvements that together will make the submarines some of the quietest in existence.

A Host of Improvements in Dreadnought-Class 

Innovative rudders will reduce the Dreadnaught’s sound emissions and likely make the submarines the quietest submarine class the Royal Navy has ever had in service. They explain that “The Dreadnought Class will be the first British submarines to feature X-rudders. Whereas previous submarines have used traditional rudders due to their speed and the depths at which they operate, improvements in control and safety now allow for X-form rudders.”

“These new rudders will sit in front of the very latest Pumpjet propulsor. These are designed to reduce the noise of the submarines, particularly at high speeds. And the Pumpjet used in the Dreadnought Class of submarines is the quietest yet.”

In contrast to a more typical screw-type propellor, the Dreadnoughts — and indeed, other more modern submarines writ large — are incorporating a pumpjet design. This design choice affords quieter operation at higher speeds than would be typically possible with a crew design.

Dreadnought-Class Submarine. Image: Creative Commons.

A new nuclear reactor, built by Rolls-Royce and called the Pressurized Water Reactor 3, or PWR3, will power the Dreadnoughts, offering “simplified operations, a longer service life, and reduced maintenance costs over the lifecycle of the boats.”

A Partially Collaborative Design with the United States

The United States and the United Kingdom have collaborated closely in the past on submarine design — in the early days of the Cold War, the United States shared the crown jewel of deterrent with London: underwater nuclear propulsion technology. The Dreadnoughts, too, will share part of their design with their American counterpart.

The Dreadnaught’s Common Missile Compartment, a section that has four missile tubes and five deck levels, will be the same as the American Columbia-class.

“Like the Vanguard Class submarines that they will be replacing in the Royal Navy’s service fleet, Dreadnought Class submarines will be capable of launching Trident 2 D5 missiles,” The Royal Navy explains.

“The new submarines will each have three missile compartments, and each compartment will comprise of four missile tubes (known as a ‘Quad Pack’) and five deck levels, for a total of 12 missiles. Dreadnought Class submarines will also feature four 533mm torpedo tubes for Spearfish heavyweight medium-range torpedoes.”

Other Improvements in These Submarines 

One of the Dreadnought’s leading stealth improvements will be on the inside: a turbo-electric drive. The drive harnesses the nuclear reactor to generate electricity, which in turn powers an electric motor that powers the pump-jet propulsor.

Columbia-class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

An artist rendering of the future U.S. Navy Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. The 12 submarines of the Columbia-class will replace the Ohio-class submarines which are reaching their maximum extended service life. It is planned that the construction of USS Columbia (SSBN-826) will begin in in fiscal year 2021, with delivery in fiscal year 2028, and being on patrol in 2031.

The new submarines feature a “chined” hull shape that, combined with anechoic tiles, serves to dissipate enemy sonar and help keep the submarine hard to detect. Layered stealth — essentially several tile coatings sandwiched between the inner and outer hull — helps absorb sonar, too.

The Dreadnought-class is a massive undertaking by the United Kingdom. But, given the heightened security situation in Europe, thanks in part to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is an undertaking that the Royal Navy feels is justified.

About the Author: Caleb Larson 

Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.