HMS Astute launches (1)
When the Navy gets its hands on the first new class of submarine launched for 17 years, it is sure to be a quiet affair.
The handover of the first British submarine to provide every crew member with his own bunk might seem like an excuse for noisy celebration on board HMS Astute, but a nuclear submarine’s raison d’être is silence and stealth. So by the time you read this, she may well have slipped silently from her moorings at Barrow-in-Furness and be heading for her new home at the Faslane naval base on the west coast of Scotland.
The exact launch date for the start of Astute’s sea trials depends on the weather, and is not disclosed for security reasons, but the submarine was being loaded up with fresh food at the end of last week, and her departure seemed imminent.
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Related:
Video: New stealth submarine unveiled (check the sidebar at the Independent. I can’t get it to play here.)
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mike Says:
No more hot bunking? They have come a long way from the “pig boats”.
mid island mike
Posted on November 20th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Bob Walker Says:
Other than ‘ intelligence ‘ and ‘ landings ‘ what do you think the real function of Astute.
Intelligence gathering is so sophysticated that I find it hard to believe Astute can add to the amount gathered,and to even consider covert landings,exposing such an expensive piece of equipment is not credible.
Therefore I have to assume that Astute’s function lies somewhere else.I have considered the patrolling of the Artic and Antartic regions but that can quite easily be executed by present sub-designs.
I have even considerd mining of the ocean floor with Astute completing both augering and transporting rare minerials.
Do you have any idea.
Bob
Posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 2:40 pm