The 1998 Strategic Defence Review reaffirmed the UK’s need for submarines – but with increasingly flexible capabilities.
Astute’s role as an undersea hunter-killer relies on her being stealthier than her underwater environment. Astute will undertake a range of tasks including intelligence gathering, Special Forces and anti-submarine warfare. Designed to operate in isolation or as part of a joint military task force with other naval vessels, aircraft and land forces, Astute’s challenge is to remain undetected, thousands of miles from home and hundreds of metres underwater while still being able to communicate securely and effectively with allied forces via satellite.
Astute has greater weapons capability, improved communications facilities and enhanced capability to operate in the littoral in comparison with the existing Swiftsure and Trafalgar (S&T) Class in service at present.
A powerful threat to enemy ships and submarines, Astute also has formidable firepower against land targets. Armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles she can strike at targets up to 2,000km from the coast with pin-point accuracy.
It’s no wonder that Astute will become the UK’s most capable military asset and weapon of choice in the 21st century – the latest in a long line of boats for that ‘most silent service’.
