2014 War Against the Islamic State

Astute-class submarine in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State

HMS Astute deployed with the United Kingdom's Carrier Strike Group 21 in 2021 and provided undersea defence while the group conducted Operation Shader and Operation Inherent Resolve missions against ISIS.

Weapon profileAstute-class submarine
SideAnti-ISIS coalition and partner forcesRoleForce Protection
Astute-class submarine, Nuclear-powered attack submarine, Naval Systems - 2014 War Against the Islamic State
Image source: Astute1.JPG

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
An Astute-class submarine was part of the UK-led Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment.

Sources: UK Operational Casualty Statistics September 2021

HMS Astute provided undersea defence for HMS Queen Elizabeth during the deployment.

Sources: Carrier Strike Group submarine returns home

Carrier Strike Group 21 conducted combat missions against Daesh in support of Operation Shader and Operation Inherent Resolve.

Sources: Stealth jets fight Daesh in first combat missions from HMS Queen Elizabeth, CENTCOM UK Carrier Strike Group joins fight against Daesh

Public sources support a force-protection role, not a documented Astute-class weapons release against ISIS targets.

Sources: Carrier Strike Group submarine returns home, Stealth jets fight Daesh in first combat missions from HMS Queen Elizabeth

Timeline

Astute-class submarine In 2014 War Against the Islamic State

  1. Operation Fortis deployment begins

    UK Ministry of Defence statistics described Operation Fortis as the 2021 UK-led Carrier Strike Group deployment and listed an Astute-class submarine as part of the group.

    Sources: UK Operational Casualty Statistics September 2021

  2. Carrier Strike Group joins Operation Shader combat missions

    Royal Navy and CENTCOM releases said the carrier group's F-35B aircraft flew combat missions against Daesh in support of Operation Shader and Operation Inherent Resolve.

    Sources: Stealth jets fight Daesh in first combat missions from HMS Queen Elizabeth, CENTCOM UK Carrier Strike Group joins fight against Daesh

  3. HMS Astute returns from Carrier Strike Group deployment

    The Royal Navy said HMS Astute returned to Clyde after the carrier-group deployment and had provided undersea defence for HMS Queen Elizabeth during operations.

    Sources: Carrier Strike Group submarine returns home

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Royal Navy reporting documented HMS Astute returning to HM Naval Base Clyde on 29 December 2021 after a deployment with Carrier Strike Group 21. The same report said HMS Queen Elizabeth was protected during operations by escort warships and that HMS Astute provided undersea defence against other submarines.

The conflict link is to the carrier group's 2021 Operation Shader tasking, not to a submarine-launched strike. Royal Navy and U.S. Central Command releases said the group joined the fight against Daesh in June 2021, with embarked F-35B aircraft flying operational sorties in support of Operation Shader and Operation Inherent Resolve.

Sources: Carrier Strike Group submarine returns home, Stealth jets fight Daesh in first combat missions from HMS Queen Elizabeth, CENTCOM UK Carrier Strike Group joins fight against Daesh

Timeline

The deployment began as Operation Fortis in May 2021. A Ministry of Defence operational-casualty statistics enclosure described Operation Fortis as the UK-led Carrier Strike Group deployment, listed HMS Queen Elizabeth as the lead ship, and included an Astute-class submarine among the group's naval components.

On 22 June 2021, official Royal Navy and CENTCOM releases announced the carrier group's first combat missions against Daesh from HMS Queen Elizabeth. HMS Astute returned to Clyde on 29 December 2021 after the deployment, making the submarine's documented role a carrier-group protection role during the wider operation.

Sources: UK Operational Casualty Statistics September 2021, Stealth jets fight Daesh in first combat missions from HMS Queen Elizabeth, Carrier Strike Group submarine returns home

Operational role

Astute-class attack submarines carry Tomahawk land-attack missiles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes, but the public evidence for this conflict identifies HMS Astute as an undersea-defence asset for Carrier Strike Group 21. The documented mission was force protection below the surface while the carrier air wing supplied the strike element of the group's counter-ISIS contribution.

The sources therefore support the Astute class as a coalition-side naval force-protection system in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State. They do not publicly document HMS Astute firing weapons against ISIS targets during the deployment.

Sources: Astute Class Attack Submarine, Carrier Strike Group submarine returns home, Stealth jets fight Daesh in first combat missions from HMS Queen Elizabeth

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Sources