The HMS Anson, the latest Astute-class attack submarine to enter the Royal Navy, completed late-stage tests near the U.S. and in the Caribbean in 2024. ROYAL NAVY
THE WATCH STAFF
The United Kingdom’s most advanced nuclear-powered submarine is nearing operational readiness as the fifth Astute-class submarine in the Royal Navy. The HMS Anson has completed intensive sea trials testing its weapon and detection systems, a crucial step toward deployment, the Royal Navy announced in May 2024.
Earlier this year, the Anson traveled from the U.K. coast north to waters north of Scotland to fire its Spearfish torpedo and Tomahawk ballistic missiles, according to ForcesNews, a defense news outlet. The submarine also underwent trials at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) near the Bahamas. The AUTEC tests “were crucial for her to prove she can operate without detection,” the website reported.
The Anson’s nuclear reactor will not need to be refueled during its 25-year service period. According to the Royal Navy’s website, Astute-class submarines “are the first not to be fitted with traditional optical periscopes — instead, they utilise high specification video technology to scan the horizon. They are also the quietest submarines ever constructed, can circumnavigate the globe completely submerged, and are capable of producing their own oxygen and drinking water.” The submarine, commissioned in August 2022 at BAE systems shipyard in the U.K., is 97 meters long with a top speed of 30 knots.
“HMS Anson is the best Astute-class submarine yet,” Cmdr. David Crosby, the commanding officer of the submarine, said at its 2022 christening. “Among tough competition that is a bold claim, but I fully believe it; she will be successful on operations for years to come and be envied by nations across the globe. The good fortune to be commanding officer of the most advanced and capable attack submarine ever built in the UK on her commissioning day is the greatest honour of my submarine career,” said Crosby, according to Naval News, a military affairs website.
The 8,000-metric-ton vessel with a crew of 98 will join four other Astute-class submarines in the U.K.’s fleet, increasing domain awareness in every ocean and partnering with allies to counter global threats. The submarine can carry up to 38 Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk Block V cruise missiles and can launch attacks at land or sea targets up to 1,609 kilometers away. The Anson also can launch and recover Royal Marines and reconnaissance teams, Naval News reported.
“Given the world we live in, there is no more important tool in the United Kingdom’s arsenal: silent, unseen, and a key instrument of our global, modern, ready Royal Navy. HMS Anson is the cutting edge in submarine design and construction … ensuring operational advantage in the underwater battlespace, the last great stealth domain. The Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines: protecting critical national infrastructure, securing the nuclear deterrent, and ready to deliver firepower against those who would do us harm,” said Adm. Sir Ben Key, the Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord.