The British Royal Navy has commissioned a brand new nuclear powered assault submarine, HMS Agamemnon, into service, which represents the sixth of seven vessels of the category deliberate to affix the fleet. Unusually, the commissioning warrant was learn by the pinnacle of state King Charles III, somewhat than the Fleet Commander, which was seen to mirror the rising perceived significance of the Armed Forces in civilian life at a time when the UK is actively concerned in hostilities with Russia within the Ukrainain theatre. Commenting on the strategic significance of the assault submarine fleet, First Sea Lord Normal Sir Gwyn Jenkins said on the commissioning ceremony: “The commissioning of the sixth Astute class submarine, HMS Agamemnon and the metal reduce for the fourth Dreadnought class [strategic misslie] submarine, HMS King George VI, mark vital milestones within the Royal Navy’s enduring dedication to safeguarding our nation.” He additional famous that the submarine fleet stays “revered by allies, feared by enemies and the delight of our island nation.”
Though the standings of the British defence sector and the armed forces have declined considerably over the previous half century, the state of the submarine fleet and business have drawn a pointy distinction to the extremely problematic floor fleet. Costing roughly $2 billion every, the ships combine a spread of innovative applied sciences, together with the usage of 39,000 anti-acoustic tiles. With a crew of 98, Astute class ships can function at depths of as much as 390 meters and journey at 32 knot speeds when absolutely submerged. The 7,400 ton ships utilise two main lessons of armaments, specifically Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes.
The dearth of supersonic missiles or any type of anti-ship cruise missiles stays a critical limitation of the Astute class, contrasting sharply to Chinese language and Russian submarines which deploy each supersonic and hypersonic missiles for anti-ship and land assault position such because the YJ-21, the brand new YJ-19, and the Russian Zircon. Every submarine carries as much as 38 missiles and torpedoes, in contrast to most submarine lessons that use separate missile launch cells and torpedo tubes. Russian Yasen class assault submarines, for instance, carry 32 cruise missiles and individually as much as 30 torpedoes. In June 2025 it was revealed that the British Ministry of Defence was planning to finance an enlargement of the nuclear-powered assault submarine fleet to shut to double its present dimension, as a part of the newest Strategic Defence Overview. The Overview prioritised each medium and long run preparations for doable battle with Russia.
