HMS Agamemnon (S124)

HMS Agamemnon is the sixth Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy and is currently under construction. She will be the sixth vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name, after the legendary Greek king Agamemnon.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Agamemnon.
History
United Kingdom
Name: Agamemnon
Ordered: March 2010
Builder: BAE Systems Submarine Solutions
Cost: £1.533B (budget)[1]
Laid down: 18 July 2013
In service: TBC [2]
Identification: Pennant number: S124
Status: Under construction
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Astute-class fleet submarine
Displacement:
  • Surfaced: 7,000 to 7,400 t (7,300 long tons; 8,200 short tons)[3][4]
  • Submerged: 7,400 to 7,800 t (7,700 long tons; 8,600 short tons)[3][4]
Length: 97 m (318 ft 3 in)[3][4]
Beam: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)[3][4]
Draught: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)[3][4]
Propulsion: Rolls-Royce PWR 2 reactor, MTU 600 kilowatt diesel generators
Speed: 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph), submerged[3][4]
Range: Unlimited[5]
Endurance: 90 days[5]
Test depth: Over 300 m (984 ft 3 in)
Complement: 98 (capacity for 109)[3]
Sensors and
processing systems:
Armament:

On 25 March 2010, BAE Systems were given the go-ahead by the government to begin construction on boats 5 and 6 (Anson and Agamemnon), being given a £300 million contract for the "initial build" of boat 5 and "long lead procurement activities" for boat 6.[7] Initial construction work was begun on boat 6 late in 2010 and is ongoing as of 2011.[8] On 15 September 2011 it was announced that boat 5 was to be named Anson; it had previously been stated that boat 5 (as S123) would be Agamemnon and boat 6 Anson, and it is now believed that the Agamemnon name will be transferred to boat 6.

Her keel was 'laid' on 18 July 2013, when the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, unveiled the "Agamemnon Keel Unit".[9]

Design

Propulsion

Agamemnon's nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the boat's 25-year service. Since the submarine can purify water and air, she will be able to circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. The main limit is that the submarine will only be able to carry three months' supply of food for 98 officers and ratings.

Weapons

Agamemnon will have provision for up-to 38 weapons in six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.[10] The submarine will be capable of using Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres)[11] and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes.

References
  1. "Ministry of Defence Major Projects Report 2015 and the Equipment Plan 2015 to 2025" (pdf). National Audit Office. 22 October 2015. p. 43.
  2. "Ministry of Defence HMS Audacious". parliamnt.uk. UK Hansard. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020. The delay to the delivery of Audacious will have some impact on the schedule for the next Astute Class, Anson. We remain committed to delivering all seven Astute boats by the end of 2026.
  3. Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. pp. 10–11. ISBN 1904459552.
  4. "Astute-class attack submarines". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  5. "BAE Systems - Astute class submarines". baesystems.com. BAE Systems. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  6. "UK's most powerful submarine joins the Navy". Ministry of Defence. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  7. North West Evening Mail Archived 1 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine £300 million order to boost shipyard
  8. MoD Second Astute Class Submarine Officially Named
  9. "Royal Navy's sixth Astute Class submarine keel laid - Royal Navy". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  10. "Alien submarine breaks technical barriers". BBC News. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  11. "United States Navy Fact File: Tomahawk Land Attack Missile". navy.mil. US Navy. Retrieved 27 July 2016.


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