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BAE Systems has confirmed the launch of HMS Agamemnon, the sixth of the Royal Navy’s Astute Class attack submarines, at the company’s submarine yard at Barrow-in-Furness.
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The nuclear-powered boat named after the ancient Greek king of the Trojan War, which weighs in at 7,400 tonnes and is 97 metres long, was rolled out of the Devonshire Dock Hall and entered the water for the first time late last week. HMS Agamemnon will now begin the next phase of its test and commissioning program before leaving Barrow for sea trials with the Royal Navy.
Steve Timms, managing director, BAE Systems Submarines, said, “This is a hugely significant milestone for everyone at BAE Systems, the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and the Royal Navy. The design and build of a nuclear-powered submarine is incredibly complex and a truly national endeavour and I pay tribute to the thousands of highly skilled people who have helped get Agamemnon to this stage.”
The Astute Class boats are the largest and most advanced attack submarines ever built for the Royal Navy. Their state-of-the-art nuclear technology means they never need to be refuelled and, as they manufacture their own oxygen and drinking water for their 98 crew members, they are able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing.
Commanding Officer of the Agamemnon, Commander David “Bing” Crosby, added, “There is still plenty to do until we get to exit Agamemnon from Barrow, but the entire workforce should be full of pride for what they have achieved with this build so far.”
The first five submarines in the class – HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson – have been handed over to the Royal Navy, with work well underway for the final Astute boat, Agincourt.
The final boat in the Astute Class, HMS Agincourt will bring the 23 year construction program to an end, ahead of the transition to the SSN-AUKUS designed replacement submarines, the first of which is expected to begin construction in the United Kingdom in the late-2020s and in Australia in the late-2030s to replace Australia’s Collins and Virginia class fleets, respectively.
