Breaking news
Royal Navy's 4th Astute-class SSN Attack Submarine Formally Named Audacious.
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HMS Artful, the 3rd Astute-class SSN of the Royal Navy. BAE Systems picture.
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First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones said:
Today’s naming ceremony for HMS Audacious adds another world-beating nuclear submarine to the already formidable Astute class. Ahead of her, HMS Astute, Ambush and Artful are already contributing to operations and are well placed to protect both the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and the Continuous At Sea Deterrent. The nuclear submarine remains the hallmark of a first rate maritime power: Audacious, and the men and women of the Royal Navy submarine service, will give the UK a decisive advantage for decades to come. The Astute Class is being built by BAE Systems, which employs around 8,000 people in its Submarines business, including those that work on the Astute programme, with thousands more working in the UK submarine supply chain. BAE Systems is also the industrial lead for the Dreadnought programme, the Royal Navy’s next generation of nuclear deterrent submarines. Rear Admiral Mike Wareham, Director Submarines Acquisition at DE&S, the MOD’s procurement organisation, said: The Astute Class provides the Royal Navy with the most technologically advanced submarines in the world, offering much greater firepower, better communications and more advanced stealth technology than their predecessors. Today marks another significant milestone for the Astute programme and takes Audacious closer to operations and to protecting the UK’s interests around the globe. Featuring the latest nuclear-powered technology, the Astute class can circumnavigate the world submerged, manufacturing the crew’s oxygen from seawater as they go. They also have the ability to operate covertly and remain undetected in almost all circumstances despite being 50 per cent bigger than the Royal Navy’s current Trafalgar Class submarines which is being replaced by the Astute Class. |
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