Artful sets sail from Barrow
Above:
Artful sails on maiden voyage.
Courtesy of BAE Systems
After just over 10 years since the first steel was cut on her and boasting £1 billion of the latest cutting-edge British technology, the world’s most advanced hunter-killer submarine, HMS Artful - built by BAE Systems - has put to sea for the first time from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, to condust sea trials.
Commanding Officer, Commander Scott Bower, guided the Astute-class boats out of Devonshire Dock into the open waters of the Irish Sea for systems testing before joining older sister submarines, HMS Astute and HMS Ambush at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde in in Faslane, Scotland.
“The crew, alongside the workers at BAE Systems, have done a sterling job in generating more than a million parts into a submarine,” said Cdr Bower of his boat which has been compared in terms of complexity with the Space Shuttle.
“Artful’s capabilities are extraordinary – she represents the next step in our country’s history of operating submarines.
“I’m now looking forward to proving what she is capable of during our sea trials and continuing our progress towards our first operational mission.”
Tony Johns, Managing Director, BAE Systems Submarines said: “Seeing Artful exit from Barrow today is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work from everyone at BAE Systems, our partners and the hundreds of businesses in our supply chain network.
“BAE Systems in Barrow is a world class facility, designing and building submarines that are some of the most sophisticated engineering projects in the world. Everyone involved in the Astute programme should feel immensely proud of their achievements as the third in class Astute submarine reaches this significant milestone.”
The design and build of the Astute class is a highly complex engineering feat. The 7,400-tonne attack submarines measure 97 metres and are powered by nuclear reactors. Each submarine is armed with Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk land attack missiles.
Artful is the third Astute class submarine to have been built by BAE Systems. Seven of the class have been commissioned in total and the remaining four boats are currently under construction.
In the 15 months since the boat entered the water, Artful has undergone numerous tests of her propulsion and power systems – notably her nuclear reactor – and carried out a partial dive in the dock (it is wide and long enough to accommodate an A-boat but at ‘only’ 82ft waters are not deep enough to submerge the Astutes entirely).
Thanks to the lessons learned building her sisters, the boat departed Barrow in a considerably more advanced state, which will speed up the time it will take for her to complete trials and training and beginning front-line patrols.
