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Key Points and Summary: The Astute-class submarines are the Royal Navy’s latest nuclear-powered attack subs, built to replace the Trafalgar-class.

-Remarkably quiet, they feature Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactors that require no refueling during their service life, advanced Spearfish torpedoes, and Tomahawk missiles with a 1,000-mile range.

-A high-tech periscope system gathers HD imagery for improved situational awareness, while the Thales 2076 sonar suite is considered one of the best in the world.

-With five Astute subs now active and two more under construction, this class solidifies Britain’s standing in modern undersea warfare, offering stealth, endurance, and advanced firepower to challenge adversaries like Russia.

How the Astute-Class Gave the UK Navy a Global Submarine Edge

The Royal Navy ruled the seas for centuries, building the most significant warships in the world.

The island nation became the world’s most powerful empire through its command of the sea. 

After World War II, the British were replaced by the United States, as they couldn’t compete with America’s industrial might. 

Great Britain had strict budgets and couldn’t afford to build, maintain, and man aircraft carriers like its American allies.

So, it set out to build a world-class submarine service. 

The Astute-Class submarine harkens the Royal Navy (RN) back to when it was the world’s envy. 

Some claim the Astute-class submarines are even better than the US Virginia-class subs. 

Whether they are or not…is still bad news for Putin’s navy.

Meet the Astute Class Submarines

The RN built the Astute-class submarines to replace the aging Trafalgar-class boats. These nuclear-powered world-class submarines are known for their outstanding stealth (they are as quiet as baby dolphins), firepower, and endurance. 

Astute-class submarine Audacious under construction at Barrow in Furness shipyard in Cumbria.
Audacious is the fourth of the seven Astute Class submarines being built for the Royal Navy.
The first two boats, HMS Astute and Ambush, are currently undergoing sea trials. The third boat, Artful, is reaching the final stages of her construction at Barrow shipyard. All three are to be based at Faslane on the Clyde.

Rolls Royce built the propulsion system (PWR2 Reactors), and the sub won’t have to be refueled for its entire service lifetime, which is about 25 years. 

Pressurized Water Reactors are a very safe design because the hotter the water used to cool the reactor, the slower the nuclear fission reaction becomes, thus making it self-regulating.

The boat is 97 meters (about 308 feet) long, weighs 7,400 tons, can reach speeds of 31 knots, and has a crew of 98, down from 130 in the Trafalgar class. The Astute-class subs have six torpedo tubes and can carry 38 Spearfish torpedoes or Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles.

The Spearfish 1 torpedoes have a range of 30km and can be wire-guarded or use an inboard sonar system. 

The Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles have a range of about 1,000 miles.

When submerged, the sub carries a Dry Deck Shelter to launch Special Boat Service teams. When it is at the surface, it can also launch a Zodiac for SBS. 

New Periscope Is a Huge Improvement

The optronic periscope is one of the best innovations that improves boat operation. Until the development of the Astute class, all RN submarines had periscopes containing mirrors and prism arrangements that allowed the commander to observe the view directly above the waterline when the boat was at shallow depth. The periscopes were the typical collapsing tube types that everyone is familiar with.  

This new system is contained within the fin, and the CM010 electro-optical sensors gather high-definition digital imagery quickly. This reduces the time the mast is above the water when the submarine is potentially vulnerable to visual or radar detection.

Astute-Class Submarine

Astute-Class Submarine. Image Credit: Royal Navy.

The sensor head unit features 3-axis stabilization, giving a more stable and precise picture, even if the boat is pitching or rolling at periscope depth in rough seas. Instead of only allowing the operator to observe the scene, the new method can conduct a rapid 360º all-around look.

The command team can review the imagery on screens in the control room long after the periscope is lowered.

Stealth Is Improved on Astute-Class Subs

The sub is covered by more than 39,000 anechoic tiles, which absorb active sonar pulses and reduce noise from inside the boat. The chemical composition of the tiles is classified, but they are made from an elastic material containing tiny air pockets and are optimized to reduce the typical sonar frequencies of homing torpedoes.

The Thales 2076 sonar system suite is considered one of, if not the best, in the world. The 2076 is an “integrated passive/active search sonar suite with hull and towed arrays,” according to the British Ministry of Defense.

Royal Navy Captain Ian Hughes said, “A good analogy for the performance of Sonar 2076 is that if the submarine was in Winchester it would be able to track a double-decker bus going around Trafalgar Square” (a distance of about 60 miles).

The British currently have five Astute-class subs in service, Astute, Ambush, Artful, Audacious, and Anson, plus the new subs under construction, Agincourt and Agamemnon, are expected to enter service sometime in 2025.

HMS Astute. Astute-Class Submarine

HMS Astute.

The Brits hit it out of the park with the Astute-class subs. 

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 other military publications.