Britain Orders Fourth New Nuclear Submarine

NUKEWARS

illustration only

by Staff Writers
London (AFP) May 21, 2007
Britain's defence ministry said Monday it had placed a 200-million-pound (295-million-euro, 395-million-dollar) contract to construct a new nuclear-powered attack submarine, it said Monday. The 7,800-tonne vessel, to be named HMS Audacious, will be the fourth in the Astute class of submarines, which are the largest and most powerful of their type ever built in Britain for the Royal Navy.

Assembly is expected to start later this year at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, north-west England, where three other Astute class vessels -- Astute, Ambush and Artful -- are already under construction.

The defence equipment and support minister Lord Paul Drayson said in a statement: "Today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to the attack submarine programme...

"It also demonstrates our commitment to the Royal Navy, which needs these submarines to fulfil its duties around the globe."

HMS Astute is to be launched next month, said First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band.

The Astute class submarines will replace the two Swiftsure and seven Trafalgar class vessels that have been in service since the 1970s and 1980s respectively.

They will be equipped with improved communications systems to support joint operations and an enhanced ability to operate in shallower coastal waters.

Astute class boats have a maximum dived displacement of 7,800 tonnes, are 97 metres (318-feet) long, have a crew of 98 and will be equipped with Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

They will carry more of these weapons than existing submarines.

The order comes amid opposition to government proposals to renew Britain's Trident missile nuclear deterrent, which is carried by four Vanguard class submarines.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Email This Article

NUKEWARS

Who Can Make ICBMs

Moscow (UPI) May 21, 2007
Although politics obviously prevail in the anti-ballistic missile issue, let's admit that the anti-missile aspect is being fed from a source that is not likely to be depleted any time soon. At any rate, this is what the United States thinks. During her visit to Russia in the middle of May, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the United States could not ignore the threats emanating from Iran and North Korea.

ENERGY TECH EcoLEDs Announces Brightest Commercial LED Light Bulb Yet New Process Generates Hydrogen from Aluminum Alloy To Run Engines And Fuel Cells Burns Postpones India Visit Indefinitely As Nuke Deal Heads South Novel Sugar-To-Hydrogen Technology Promises Transportation Fuel Independence	CIVIL NUCLEAR Revamped, Renewed, Restarted: High Flux Isotope Reactor Back On Line China Sets Up Government Nuclear Power Technology Corporation Blair Argues For Nuclear Power As Government Publishes Proposals Iran Building First Indigenous Nuclear Plant
BLUE SKY Widespread Twilight Zone Detected Around Clouds Rand Says Further Study Warranted On Save The World Air Technology Noxious Lightning AIM Heads For Orbit	WOOD PILE Indonesia's Crackdown On Illegal Logging Under Fire Brazil Demonstrating That Reducing Tropical Deforestation Is Key WinWin Global Warming Solution Global Scientists Urge Canada To Save Boreal Forest "Reducing Emissions From Deforestation" Initiative Launched
FARM NEWS Climate Change Threatens Wild Relatives Of Key Crops Journal Details How Global Warming Will Affect The World's Fisheries Spud Origin Controversy Solved Decimation Of Bee Colonies Has Various Possible Causes	CAR TECH Toyota Launches New Luxury Hybrid The Driving Force Behind Electric Vehicles Radical Engine Redesign Would Reduce Pollution And Oil Consumption Intelligent Cars As Fuel-Efficient As Hybrids
AEROSPACE Australia Fears Jet Flight Guilt Could Hit Tourism Nondestructive Testing Keeps Bagram Aircraft Flying New FAA Oceanic Air Traffic System Designed By Lockheed Martin Fully Operational NASA Seeks New Research Proposals	NUCLEAR SPACE Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement