08 May 2007 | Ref. 140/2007
Barrow, UK. – The Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful attack submarine, the first-of-class Astute, is now entering the final stages of preparation for the naming and roll out for launch ceremony which takes place at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness on June 8, 2007.
With just one month to go before the submarine emerges from the 25,000m² Devonshire Dock Hall build facility, much of the hull is still shrouded in coverings to allow work to continue on applying more than 39,000 acoustic tiles that will mask the vessel’s sonar signature and help to make Astute the most stealthy submarine ever operated by the Royal Navy.
BAE Systems is the prime contractor for the Astute Class of nuclear-powered submarine, responsible for the design, build and initial in-service support of the three 7,800 tonne vessels - Astute, Ambush and Artful - currently under construction at the shipyard. Up to five more Astute-class vessels are planned to replace the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class attack class submarines currently in service.
Work is on schedule to meet the first of class Astute date for delivery to the Royal Navy of August 2008 with an in-service date of January 2009. Subsequent Astute class submarines will be delivered on an agreed 22-month ‘drumbeat’.
The largest, most capable and widely deployable attack submarines ever operated by the Navy, the Astute class has improved communications systems to support joint operations and an enhanced ability to operate in shallower littoral environments compared with previous classes.
As well as supporting the Trident-carrying strategic missile submarines, Astute is designed to undertake a range of other tasks including support of land forces, land attack using Tomahawk cruise missiles, and intelligence gathering.
Astute’s state-of-the-art pressurised water reactor is more complex than a nuclear power station, with more restrictions placed upon it: it must be engineered and operated in the knowledge that almost 100 people live and work in close proximity - the submarine commander sleeps less than 10 metres away from the nuclear core.
Once deployed, Astute is designed not to require refuelling throughout her 25-year service life. It can produce oxygen and water indefinitely and is limited to a patrol length of 90 days at a time only be its ability to carry food for the crew. With a radar signature equivalent to a dolphin, it can remain undetected thousands of miles from home and hundreds of metres underwater. In the right conditions it can detect the QE2 leaving New York harbour from the English Channel.
Design and construction of the Astute Class is one of the most challenging engineering projects mankind undertakes and compares with the space shuttle in complexity, involving over a million components and the production of over 7,000 design drawings. Specialist engineers working on the design of Astute are undertaking a wide range of engineering activities including:
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Nuclear engineering:
providing safety and performance improvements to a state-of-the-art pressurised water reactor that is fuelled for life. -
Systems engineering:
integrating the thousands of sub-systems that require up to 100km of cabling, 23,000 pipes amounting to10km of pipework, and over 5 million lines of software code – plus managing the supply chain, which consists of over 30 main suppliers. -
Marine and mechanical engineering:
providing solutions for the propulsive power train, auxiliary systems and life support. Astute must be quiet, vibration free and robust enough to withstand a nearby underwater explosion. -
Hydrodynamics and control engineering:
the design of the submarine hull, hydroplanes and control systems to provide control of depth and good manoeuvrability. The submarine must maintain neutral buoyancy and is literally ‘flown’ underwater. -
Human factors:
ensuring that every system is safely operable and maintainable in all conditions by a relatively small complement compared with previous nuclear powered submarines.
Over half the value of each submarine goes to the supply chain. Major suppliers include Rolls Royce, Derby (nuclear plant), Thales Optronics (visual system), Thales Underwater Systems Ltd (sonar), Ultra Electronics (technology demonstration, programme for buoy system) and Weir, Strachan & Henshaw, Bristol (weapon handling and discharge system).
About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is a global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 88,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded 13.7 billion pounds sterling (US25.4 billion dollars) in 2006.
For further information please contact:
Mike Sweeney, BAE SYSTEMS
Tel: + 44 (0)1252 383074 Mobile: + 44 (0)7801 716452
Email: mike.sweeney2@baesystems.com
Chris Nelson, BAE Systems
Tel: + 44 (0) 1229 875975 Mobile: + 44 (0)7793 422810
Email: chris.nelson@baesystems.com
Issued by:
BAE Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1252 384719 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383947
www.baesystems.com
