HMS Anson (S123)

HMS Anson is the fifth Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy. She will be the eighth vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name, after Admiral George Anson.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Anson.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Anson
Ordered: March 2010
Builder: BAE Systems Submarine Solutions
Cost: £1.420B (budget)[1]
Laid down: 13 October 2011
Sponsored by: Julie Weale
Christened: 11 December 2020
In service: TBD.[2]
Identification: Pennant number: S123
Motto: Nil desperandum (One mustn't give up hope)
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] Later that year work was begun on the pressure hull and reactor compartments and construction is currently ongoing as of 2011.[8] On 15 September 2011 it was announced that boat 5 would be named Anson;[9] it was previously believed that boat 5 would be Agamemnon and boat 6 Anson. Her keel was ceremonially laid on 13 October 2011.[10][11] On 19 November 2015, a possible new contract worth £1.3 billion was signed for HMS Anson.[12] She was officially named on 11 December 2020[13][14] and is projected to be launched in 2021.[15]

Design

Propulsion

Anson'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

Anson will have provision for up-to 38 weapons in six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.[16] The submarine will be capable of using Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres)[17] 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". parliament.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.
  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. "Naval Shipbuilding Northwest England". Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  9. "Navy's newest Astute Class submarine named". Ministry of Defence. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  10. North West Evening News Archived 14 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Underwater Tests Mark Ambush Milestone (5 October 2011)
  11. BBC News Barrow keel-laying ceremony for Astute-class submarine
  12. "£1.3Bn contract awarded for latest attack submarine - News stories - GOV.UK". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  13. "HMS Anson: Fifth Astute-Class Submarine Officially Named". BFBS. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  14. "Fifth hunter-killer submarine named Anson". GOV.UK. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  15. https://seawaves.com/?p=7712
  16. "Alien submarine breaks technical barriers". BBC News. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  17. "United States Navy Fact File: Tomahawk Land Attack Missile". navy.mil. US Navy. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
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