Naval Systems

Astute-class submarine

Also known as
  • Astute class
  • Astute class submarine
  • Astute class attack submarine
  • Astute-class
  • A-boat

The Astute class is the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarine family built by BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness. Its boats use Combat System Masts instead of traditional optical periscopes, carry Tomahawk land-attack missiles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes, and provide covert strike, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare capability.

Astute-class submarine, Nuclear-powered attack submarine, Naval Systems
Image source: Astute1.JPG

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United Kingdom
Type
Nuclear-powered attack submarine
Service note
2010-present
Unit cost
£1.4 billion (reported 2017 contract for HMS Agamemnon, the sixth Astute-class boat)
Number built
7 planned; 6 in service, 1 under construction

Specifications

Displacement
7,400 tonnes
Length
97 metres
Speed
30 knots
Range
Unlimited submerged
Armament
Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes
Sensors
Sonar 2076 integrated passive/active search sonar suite with hull and towed arrays
Masts
Combat System Masts instead of traditional optical periscopes
Carried Munitions

The class's long-range strike reach comes from the Tomahawk family carried by Astute boats.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsBGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack MissileLand-attack cruise missile

Royal Navy says Astute-class submarines carry Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles for strikes on ground targets hundreds of miles inland.

Sources: Astute Class Attack Submarine

Design Notes

Royal Navy coverage highlights three features that set the class apart from earlier British attack submarines.

FeatureWhat the source says
Combat System MastsUpdated digital periscopes replace traditional optical periscopes on the class.
Submerged enduranceAstute boats can circumnavigate the globe while submerged and produce their own oxygen and drinking water.
Underwater sensingSonar 2076 combines bow, flank, and towed arrays for integrated search and tracking.
Timeline

Astute-class submarine Key Events

  1. HMS Astute fires first Tomahawk

    The first Astute-class boat completed its first test firing mission by launching Tomahawk missiles during trials in the Gulf of Mexico.

    Sources: Navy sub fires first Tomahawk missile

  2. MOD awards sixth-boat contract

    The Ministry of Defence announced a £1.4 billion contract for the sixth Astute-class submarine, HMS Agamemnon, in the seven-boat programme.

    Sources: £1.4 billion deal for Royal Navy's new attack submarine

  3. HMS Astute returns from Carrier Strike Group deployment

    Royal Navy reporting said HMS Astute returned to HMNB Clyde after deploying with the Carrier Strike Group, where it provided undersea defense.

    Sources: Carrier Strike Group submarine returns home

  4. HMS Agamemnon is commissioned

    Royal Navy commissioned HMS Agamemnon as the sixth Astute-class submarine in Barrow-in-Furness.

    Sources: The King sees Royal Navy's newest submarine commissioned

  5. First commission ends with refit

    The Royal Navy marked 15 years of continuous service as HMS Astute entered Devonport for a mid-life revalidation period.

    Sources: Royal Navy hunter-killer submarine completes first historic phase of front-line career

Media

Astute-class submarine Videos

Astute-class submarine Images

Astute-class submarine, Nuclear-powered attack submarine, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Astute class SSN.svg
Astute-class submarine, Nuclear-powered attack submarine, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Astute class SSN.svg
Astute-class submarine, Nuclear-powered attack submarine, Naval Systems - view 3
Source: Commissioning of HMS Agamemnon.webp
Related Weapon Systems
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Upholder/Victoria-class submarine, Diesel-electric patrol submarine, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsUpholder/Victoria-class submarineDiesel-electric patrol submarineThe Upholder/Victoria class is a four-boat Type 2400 diesel-electric submarine line designed in the United Kingdom as the Royal Navy's late-Cold-War successor to the Oberon class. The Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering design was ordered for HMS Upholder in 1983, followed by three Cammell Laird-built boats, but the Royal Navy withdrew the class in 1994 as it moved to an all-nuclear submarine force. Canada acquired the reserve boats in 1998, renamed them as the Victoria class, and rebuilt them around Canadian fire-control, communications, and Mk 48 heavyweight-torpedo requirements. Current Royal Canadian Navy and National Defence material frames the class as Canada's covert underwater-surveillance and deterrence force while Victoria Class Modernization keeps the boats in service into the mid-to-late 2030s.
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Sources

Astute Class Attack SubmarinePublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports class background, displacement, length, speed, range, optronic mast fit, Tomahawk and Spearfish armament, sonar suite, and the Royal Navy's description of the class. | Accessed: 2026-06-25£1.4 billion deal for Royal Navy's new attack submarinePublisher: GOV.UK | Note: Supports the reported £1.4 billion 2017 contract for HMS Agamemnon, the sixth Astute-class boat, and the class's seven-boat programme. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Astute class submarinesPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer context, Barrow-built production background, and the class description as the Royal Navy's largest and most powerful attack-submarine fleet. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Navy sub fires first Tomahawk missilePublisher: Ministry of Defence | Note: Supports the 2011 Tomahawk first-firing milestone, the missile loadout context, and the Royal Navy's explanation of the class's strike role. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Royal Navy hunter-killer submarine completes first historic phase of front-line careerPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the July 2025 refit milestone, HMS Astute's 15 years of continuous service, and the then-current fleet context of five boats in service with HMS Agamemnon due to commission and HMS Achilles in build. | Accessed: 2026-06-27The King sees Royal Navy's newest submarine commissionedPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the 22 September 2025 commissioning of HMS Agamemnon, the sixth Astute-class submarine, and the fleet update that accompanied that event. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Defence Nuclear Enterprise 2025 Annual Update to ParliamentPublisher: GOV.UK | Note: Supports the class's role in underwater warfare, covert land attack, and support to UK, NATO, and coalition operations. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Carrier Strike Group submarine returns homePublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports HMS Astute's deployment with Carrier Strike Group 21 and its undersea-defence role during the deployment. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Stealth jets fight Daesh in first combat missions from HMS Queen ElizabethPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict context: Carrier Strike Group 21 carried out combat missions in support of Operation Shader and Operation Inherent Resolve. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Astute1.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing context for the primary Astute-class image. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Astute class SSN.svgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the Astute-class silhouette diagram in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Astute class SSN silhouette.pngPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the Astute-class silhouette graphic in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-25Commissioning of HMS Agamemnon.webpPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the HMS Agamemnon gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-25