HMS Astute ready for operations
Above:
HMS Astute.
Courtesy Royal Navy
HMS Astute’s sea training process tested all aspects of the equipment and crew, ensuring that she is ready to respond to emergency situations while continuing with high intensity operations.
“It has been a remarkable achievement getting Astute back to sea after a significant period alongside,” said the Commanding Officer of HMS Astute.
“The ship’s company all performed incredibly over the past two years and we are now looking forward to operational tasking at sea.”
The rigorous training package contained a number of phases with the team put through their paces during fire fighting and damage control exercises as well as completing weapon certification of the UK’s anti-surface and anti-submarine weapon system.
The training culminated in a simulated war environment dealing with airborne, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously.
As well as working with UK assets HMS Astute also trained alongside Canadian Maritime Patrol Aircraft and conducted a training exercise with another NATO submarine.
These opportunities to work with NATO partners allowed the crew to practice key elements of joint operations and test the equipment upgrades against other navies’ anti-submarine capabilities.
The first of her class, HMS Astute completed her first operational deployment in 2014. Since returning home to HM Naval Base Clyde in June 2015 the submarine has been undergoing a period of planned maintenance to ensure she is in top condition and ready for future operations around the globe.
Commissioned in 2010, HMS Astute is the first of seven new Astute class hunter-killer submarines being constructed for the Royal Navy.
