HMS Astute (S119)
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 Astute on the shiplift after launch |
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Class and type: | Astute class submarine |
| Name: | HMS Astute |
| Ordered: | March 1997 |
| Builder: | BAE Systems Submarine Solutions |
| Laid down: | January 2001 |
| Launched: | 8 June 2007 |
| Commissioned: | 2009 (planned) |
| Status: | On trials |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 7800 tonnes submerged |
| Length: | 97 m (323 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.3 m (37 ft) |
| Draught: | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactor (with full submarine life core), MAN (Paxman) 1900 kilowatt diesel generator |
| Speed: | 29 knots (54 km/h) submerged |
| Range: | circumnavigation 40 times without refuelling |
| Complement: | 98 officers and enlisted, capacity of 109 (All Male) |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
Thales Underwater Systems Sonar 2076, Atlas Hydrographic DESO 25 depth-finding echosounder, Two Thales Optronics CM010 periscopes, Raytheon Systems Limited Successor IFF system |
| Armament: | six 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 38 Spearfish torpedoes, UGM-84 Harpoon and Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles, naval mines |
HMS Astute (S119) is the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered Fleet submarines. Astute was ordered from GEC's Marconi Marine (now BAE Systems Submarine Solutions) on 17 March 1997. She was laid down on January 31, 2001, 100 years to the day since the keel was laid down for Holland 1, the first Royal Navy submarine. The vessel was built at BAE's submarine facility in Barrow and was launched on 8 June 2007 by The Duchess of Cornwall.
Astute is the second submarine of the Royal Navy to be named for the characteristic of shrewdness and discernment. The first was HMS Astute (P447), an Amphion class submarine launched during World War II. When commissioned, Astute will be one of the most advanced submarines in the world.
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[edit] Technology
The 7,675-ton Astute’s nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the boat's 25 year service. Since the submarine can purify water and air, she will be able to circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. The main limit is that the submarine will only be able to carry three months supply of food for 98 officers and enlisted men. Her sonar is so sensitive that it can detect and identify a ship setting sail from New York whilst in dock at Portsmouth, it will also carry Tomahawk cruise missiles.[1]
[edit] Ship's Launch
HMS Astute was launched at BAE's submarine facility in Barrow-in-Furness on 8 June 2007 by The Duchess of Cornwall[2] and the vessel is due to be handed over to the Royal Navy in August 2008.[3] The launch attracted more than 10,000 spectators[4]. She is the first submarine built in the UK since HMS Vengeance, which was launched in 1998.
[edit] Project management
The launching of Astute was 43 months later than originally planned and the Astute class were £900 million over budget. This was due in part to outdated practices at the construction site. Many of these were corrected when Murray Easton was installed as the new boss at the construction site.[1] He implemented several changes to speed up the project: Psychologists were called to improve communication and management effectiveness. He also lowered the manpower requirements by using US submarine construction methods, specifically those of the Electric Boat company. For example, the sections of the submarine were built vertically so that gravity could assist during the assembly.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Alien submarine breaks technical barriers BBC News. (2007-05-07).
- ^ This week. The Daily Telegraph (2007-06-04). Retrieved on 2007-06-04.
- ^ HMS Astute homepage. Royal Navy (2007-06-04). Retrieved on 2007-06-04.
- ^ News Releases - BAE Systems. BAE Systems (2007-06-08). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
[edit] External links
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