Just been reading about this. Very interesting. She's due to enter service in 2011 and is one of Britain's new Astute class submarines. Looks like a big fish.

Here's it's head making it's way from one workshop to another.

It makes less noise than a baby dolphin, could (with enough food), circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing, will run for 25 years on it's existing reactor without refuelling and if it's sat in the English Channel, it can detect ships leaving New York Harbour with sonar.

If you want one you'll need deep pockets though, roughly a billion pounds each.

Fantastic 🙂

I was reading about the change of rules to allow women to serve on submarines. Some comedian on a navy forum said 'well there goes our reputation as the silent service' 🙂

It could detect ships leaving NY assuming the water conditions are correct. Big bugger though isn't it?

Makes you wonder. Why is a 2nd rate world power buying 1st rate world power toys?

Jeremy Clarkson voice 'HMS Ambush'

I did some FE analysis on parts of the Astute class vessels – can't say any more/be less vague than that, but very interesting stuff….

My BIL is one of the guys working on that. I went to one of the launches of the Trident when I was a kid, they make one hell of a splash when they reach the water.

they appear to have employed International Rescue to deliver it.

I design/code the Simulators for the Astute Class submarine.

thesurfbus – does the simulator include a realistic/real SCC? I know the 'real thing' very well 😉

Yay, submarines!!

That is all.

Whats with all the polyfilla on it? I'm no expert but that looks like shoddy workmanship to me.

they make one hell of a splash when they reach the water.

I thought they were meant to be quiet?

if it's sat in the English Channel, it can detect ships leaving New York Harbour with sonar.

you still believe in Santa Claus dont you.

Fantastic. I bet someone somewhere has the real capability to hunt and destroy that Submarine already.

you still believe in Santa Claus dont you.

No but I know **** all about sonar so I've no idea how true it is or not.

I thought they were meant to be quiet?

lol, it was in fact the last of the slipway launches. They launch they boats with much less style these days.

beats eveyone else's shed into submission… IGMC.

If the biggest threat to the world is Osama Bin Liner and his cronies, WTF do we need to know about ships leaving NY Harbour? Can we detect if Obama sneaks out a cheeky poop after lunch too? 😕

Nice to see they've fitted it with a balcony where the Captain can play his pipe organ. RIP James Mason

ARe they going to have an

'HMS Sneaky Boot in the Spuds'

too?

'Ambush' doesn't sound like it upholds the valiant traditions of the Senior Service?

Regarding listening to boats leaving NY – they were peddling that line in the 60's when my father was involved in sonar upgrade trials on one of the RNs frigates

MY beliefs
Father Christmas – what a crock
Tooth Fairy – pull the other one
Easter Bunny – laughable

The Sock Monster – REAL you and me..

Sonar contact across the Atlantic ocean from the English Channel.. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (even on the West Coast of Ireland on a good day would be doubtful)

I thought people with satellites could track them now by watching the plumes of heat rising to the surface of the sea?

So no matter how quiet it might be, the Chinese, Russians and Americans will all know exactly where it is.

Jeez soulrider have you been googling "radar"? You clearly don't know anything about it.

Whats with all the polyfilla on it? I'm no expert but that looks like shoddy workmanship to me.

Looks like white paint on the welds to help check for cracks when they NDT (non destructive testing) it.

I dont know ANYTHING about sonar but I am surprised they are still using it. When LIDAR and RADAR have come so far…

So no matter how quiet it might be, the Chinese, Russians and Americans will all know exactly where it is.

I wonder what the Chinese, Russians and Americans-counter capabilities are.

I wonder if someone, somewhere has our hardware constantly tracked around the clock. Or if there are more Philby, Burgess Mclean in our era doing damage?

Lidar and radar – do they work underwater?

@some_rich – sonar can be passive – a good thing when you want to find without being found.

She's due to enter service in 2011

There seems to be quite a lot to finish off if that's a recent picture…

wwaswas – Member
…'Ambush' doesn't sound like it upholds the valiant traditions of the Senior Service?

Tell that to the crew of the 'General Belgrano' 🙂

The Ambush is going to be an impressive piece of kit, but why we are building it, and what we are going to do with it are a mystery to me when we have nothing for it to do.

I still can't get over how much it looks like a fish myself. It's got eyes and a big mouth.

why we are building it, and what we are going to do with it are a mystery to me when we have nothing for it to do.

.

Why do you ask that?

samuri – Member
It's got eyes and a big mouth.

Sounds like my MIL 🙂

It's disguised as a fish so that it can ambush unsuspecting fishing boats.

Round 2 of the Cod Wars is going to be a big surprise to those pesky icelandics.

The Ambush is going to be an impressive piece of kit, but why we are building it, and what we are going to do with it are a mystery to me when we have nothing for it to do.

After the sinking of the belgrano the Argentinian fleet rushed back to port. By having submarines, you deny an opponent access to the sea and to try and counter a sub will cost a huge amount of money.

HMS Astute is already in the water:

Sonor – Member
After the sinking of the belgrano the Argentinian fleet rushed back to port. By having submarines, you deny an opponent access to the sea and to try and counter a sub will cost a huge amount of money.

You're dead right. I retract my thoughtless statement.

Forgot we still need them as a deterrent for the defence of the Falklands. That sub could save quite a few lives if we don't have to have a shooting war with the Argentinians again.

I do think they ought to put something more than a pop-gun on modern warships.

You can't beat a few proper turrets with three 15" guns on them for 'don't mess with me' aesthetics.

epicyclo

We need it because the French have them.

On a serious note, the UK is still a Great Power able to influence events on the world stage along with France, Russia, China. The USA is the only superpower & Germany and Japan are Economic Great Powers. Considering how much of our economy relies upon imports & exports across the oceans we would be mad to give up a 1st rate submarine fleet.

Yes I'm sure the Russian's etc could detect & destroy one of these boats but that really would depend on the crew sailing her and Russia (or whomever) having the intelligence to know where to start looking (once she is at sea!)

wwaswas,

They pretty much gave up on the big gun battle-cruisers/ships when so many of them were sunk in WW2 by submarines and carrier borne aircraft.

IIRC the UK's last battleship was scrapped in the 1950's but the USA kept hold of a couple for a lot longer. The USS New Jersey saw action in 1991 softening up Iraqi coastal defences.

I did hear a rumour that there were plans to fit a 155mm gun to some RN ships as shells are considerably cheaper than missiles. It was probably just a Lewis Page story though!