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At 97 metres long and displacing 7,400 tonnes
submerged, Astute is designed to be the quietest
and most stealthy submarine of her type, packed
with an impressive range of kit including advanced
secure communications capabilities and optimal
detection avoidance characteristics.
Its arsenal packs a punch too. Astute can carry
more torpedoes and tube launched missiles than
any previous class of Royal Navy submarine – nuclear
or conventionally powered. Its Tomahawk missiles
can strike at targets up to 1,000 kilometres from
the coast with pinpoint accuracy.
Thanks to its Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor, Astute
can circumnavigate the globe, underwater, and
will never need to refuel during its planned 25
year life. Its dived endurance is limited only
by the amount of food that can be carried and
the endurance of the crew.
Full acceptance by the Royal Navy is due soon,
when Astute will be handed over by its builders,
BAE Systems. Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope said: ‘The
Astute class is truly next generation.
‘They are immensely powerful vessels and they
will form a key part of our future programme,
giving the Royal Navy the versatility and technical
excellence needed to operate successfully across
the globe,’ he added.
Like many surface ships and submarines before
her, Astute made a momentous departure from Barrow-in-Furness
late last year, witnessed by thousands of employees,
local residents and VIPs.
 INTENSIVE
First of her class, Astute initially headed for
what will be her home base – Her Majesty’s Naval
Base Clyde, in Scotland, prior to the start of
an intensive sea trial programme which will put
‘Boat 1’ through its paces.
Since the contract to build the Astute class
was awarded in 1997, prime contractor BAE Systems
and its supply chain, which includes Rolls-Royce,
has overcome many engineering challenges to deliver
what is the world’s most sophisticated attack
submarine.
The Astute class will exceed the capabilities
of the Trafalgar and Swiftsure classes it will
supersede – the design and construction has been
described as more complex than the space shuttle.
The Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, now owned and
managed by BAE Systems, has a long history of
expertise in the design and construction of submarines.
Every first-of-class submarine built for the Royal
Navy since World War II, has been launched from
the shipyard.
From the first ‘steel cut’ in 1999, when the
keel was laid at Barrow, to its maiden voyage,
construction of Astute was an enormous task.
Barrow’s Devonshire Dock Hall is the largest
shipbuilding construction complex of its kind
in Europe, covering an area of 25,000m. At 51m,
the height of the hall was determined by the need
for overhead cranes to clear the raised masts
of submarines during build.
Astute is one of the first nuclear submarines
to be designed entirely in a three dimensional
computer aided environment – a step change from
the principle that performance should be optimised
by designing the smallest boat possible with little
regard to cost.
The modular build of the Astute class sees huge
steel cylinders carefully welded together to reveal
the familiar submarine shape. Underwater, the
hull is designed to resist the equivalent pressure
of 400 family saloon cars piled one on top of
the other, on every square metre of its surface.
Construction complete, Astute was inched out
of the cavernous surroundings of Devonshire Dock
Hall for launching. Unlike launches of the past,
modern submarine construction means that Astute
was lowered into the adjacent dock by a Rolls-Royce
shiplift system capable of lifting vessels up
to 23,400 tonnes – when built it was the largest
shiplift in the world.
For more than 50 years, Rolls- Royce has supplied
nuclear steam raising plant to the Royal Navy.
Astute is powered by the latest development of
the PWR2 – Pressurised Water Reactor, a development
of the reactor design used in the Vanguard class
ballistic submarines.
Bruce Bandeen, Rolls-Royce Astute Project Director
hailed the commencement of sea trials as a ‘massive
achievement’ for those involved. He said: ‘Reaching
the “Exit Barrow” milestone was a proud moment
for all. Astute is the most complex engineering
project on the planet, and has one of the highest
performing reactors we’ve ever built. It met all
expectations during the testing programme and
was quite simply designed to perfection.’
Rolls-Royce has a team based permanently at Barrow
to oversee the installation and testing of the
reactor system in partnership with the BAE Systems
personnel responsible for building and commissioning
the reactor system. Key tasks include the filling
of the primary circuit and the first hot and cold
operation of the reactor. Core loading, followed
by further operational tests precede a major milestone,
the Power Range Testing.
The test, in Bruce Bandeen’s words, was: ‘Carried
out with the boat fully crewed, as if it was at
sea – it behaved perfectly.’
During Power Range Testing the reactor system
is operating at 100 per cent temperature and under
full operating pressure. There is no drive at
this stage as the sub’s propulsor is disengaged.
Finally, prior to departing Barrow, Astute was
put through a phase known as ‘fast cruise’. This
is a programme of pre-sea trials, training and
familiarisation for the crew.
 INNOVATIVE
Astute has been a major project for Rolls-Royce.
The work included the design and manufacture of
reactor cores, high pressure vessels and the innovative
propulsor. The company's scope of supply alsoincludes
Astitute's turbogenerator, flexible couplings
and thrust block and Rolls Royce low voltage electricalsystems
distribute power throughout the submarine.
The next three boats (Ambush, Artfulland Audacious)
are currently under construction at Barrow and
Rolls-Royce continues to work with the UK Ministry
of Defense (MoD, BAE Systems and other parties
toensure they continue to deliver affordable and
capable submarines into future.
The close relationship between the MoD and Rolls-Royce
extends to the provision of round the clock in-service
support for the existing submarine flotilla, including
the Astute class boats as they enter service.
Twoyears ago the company signed a landmark contract
with the MoD which will bring major cost savings
in submarine operation and maintenance.
Defence Equipment and support (DE&S) Director
Submarines, Rear Admiral Simon Lister, described
Astute as: 'A quantum leap in capability from
the trafalgar class'.
She is designed to fulfil a range of key strategic
and tactical roles including anti-ship and anti-submarine
operations, surveillance and intelligence gathering
and support for land forces.
Astute has been a complex engineering challenge,
which has brought together specialist engineers
working across a vast range of disciplines. The
result is one of the world’s most versatile submarines,
designed to perform multiple deployments, from
solo patrols to joint maritime operations, hundreds
of metres below the surface.
Craig Taylor is part of
the Rolls-Royce communications team in Derby.
Pics: BAE Systems
Courtesy: Rolls Royce
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