HMS Agamemnon: The Royal Navy’s new stealth submarine is a powerhouse

What you need to know: The Royal Navy’s sixth nuclear-powered submarine, HMS Agamemnon, has been moved from the Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow-in-Furness and is preparing for commissioning in late 2025.

-Named after the ancient Greek king, the Astute class boats are known for their advanced design, including 3D computer-aided development and state-of-the-art acoustic tiles that reduce sonar signature.

– Equipped with Tomahawk Land Attack missiles and Spearfish torpedoes, HMS Agamemnon can operate underwater for extended periods and generate its own oxygen and water. With the final Astute-class submarine, HMS Agincourt, nearing completion, these ships will strengthen the Royal Navy’s maritime capabilities for decades to come.

Technological marvel: HMS Agamemnon, the silent submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS Agamemnonthe Royal Navy’s sixth Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine (SSN), was moved from the Devonshire Dock Hall (DDH) at Barrow-in-Furness, and will soon be lowered into the water and is on track to enter service taken by the end of next year. With the construction phase largely complete, the submarine is on track to “become critical for the first time,” Navy Lookout recently reported.

The submarine, the sixth of seven planned nuclear-powered boats, was officially named after the ancient Greek king in a ceremony earlier this year. With the move of the DDH, the facility will also begin the assembly of the future HMS terrifying, the lead boat of a new class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) that will “enter service with the Royal Navy in the early 2030s,” Navy Lookout added.

The Royal Navy’s Astute-class boats are reputed to be the world’s first nuclear-powered submarines designed in a 3D computer-aided environment. In addition, they are equipped with many technological firsts, including the absence of an optical periscope. Instead, high-quality video technology has been used, allowing the crew to scan the horizon and get a 360-degree view to tackle any threats.

Furthermore, unlike other nuclear-powered submarines, the Astute class has been developed to utilize state-of-the-art anti-acoustic tiles. Each hull is equipped with more than 39,000 acoustic tiles that mask the ship’s sonar signature and allow the submarines to glide through the water almost silently. The small sound the boats produce has been compared to that of a ‘baby dolphin’.

Sixth and sixth

The SSN is not only the sixth submarine of the Astute class, but also the sixth ship of the Royal Navy to be named after the Greek King Agamemnon, who, according to ancient Greek mythology, commanded the Greeks during the legendary Trojan War.

Past warships included the 64-gun third-rate ship of the line that took part in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805; and the pre-dreadnought Lord Nelson-class battleship that served in the Dardanelles campaign of the First World War.

‘The Royal Navy has always respected the figures of the Trojan War, possibly because for the Greeks it was a war by sea: or perhaps because of the exaggerated respect that the mostly illiterate British naval officers of the 18th and 19th centuries had for classical warfare. learning,” Lewis Page, a former Royal Navy officer, explained to Greek news channel Reporter.

Page added that the name has a special place in the history of the Royal Navy.

‘An HMS Agamemnon was present at the British battles from the Saints, Copenhagen and Trafalgar to the Dardanelles and the mine warfare campaigns of World War II,” Page continued. ‘In a historic echo that resonates particularly loudly today, an HMS Agamemnon was there when Britain fought Russia in Crimea. When the ship company of the latter Agamemnon Raise their glasses on Trafalgar Night to the immortal memory of Lord Nelson, they will no doubt remember with pride that Admiral Nelson had been Captain of the first HMS Agamemnon.”

This sixth Agamemnon will also certainly be the most powerful yet, as each Astute-class fleet submarine is equipped with industry-leading sensors, while armed with Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes. And although the crew won’t smell the fresh sea air, the submarine will be able to sail around the world underwater, producing its own oxygen and drinking water.

The last sub of the Astute class, HMS Agincourtis now being completed at BAE Systems Submarines in Barrow-in-Furness. That submarine will be the sixth Royal Navy ship to be named after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, a major English victory during the Hundred Years’ War.

Experience and expertise of author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer from Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also one Contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can send the author an email: (email protected).

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