HMS Agamemnon (S123)

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

History
United Kingdom
NameAgamemnon
NamesakeAgamemnon
OrderedMarch 2010
BuilderBAE Systems Submarine Solutions
Cost£1.533B (budget)[1]
Laid down18 July 2013
Launched3 October 2024[2]
Christened22 April 2024[3]
In serviceProjected late 2025[4][5][6]
IdentificationPennant number: S123
StatusPre-sea trial testing
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeAstute-class fleet submarine
Displacement
  • Surfaced: 7,000 to 7,400 t (6,900 to 7,300 long tons)[7][8]
  • Submerged: 7,400 to 7,800 t (7,700 long tons)[7][8]
Length97 m (318 ft 3 in)[7][8]
Beam11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)[7][8]
Draught10 m (32 ft 10 in)[7][8]
PropulsionRolls-Royce PWR 2 reactor, MTU 600 kW (800 hp) diesel generators
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), submerged[7][8]
RangeUnlimited[9]
Endurance90 days[9]
Test depthOver 300 m (980 ft)
Complement98 (capacity for 109)[7]
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

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.

On 25 March 2010, BAE Systems were contracted 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.[11] Initial construction work was begun on boat 6 late in 2010 and is ongoing as of 2011.[12] 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.[citation needed]

The keel was laid on 18 July 2013 by the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne.[13]

Agamemnon's electric switchboards were powered up, for the first time, 1 October 2020, making the boat go "live".[14] On 2 October 2024, Agamemnon was rolled out of the build hall and was launched the next day.[15] The commissioning is now expected in late 2025.[16]

Official naming ceremony of HMS Agamemnon.

Design

Propulsion

Agamemnon's nuclear reactor will not need to be refueled 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.[17] The submarine will be capable of using Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres)[18] 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. ^ "Hail the Warrior King as submarine HMS Agamemnon is launched". Royal Navy. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Barrow naming ceremony for Navy submarine Agamemnon". BBC News. 22 April 2024.
  4. ^ "6th Astute class submarine HMS Agamemnon rolled out of the build hall". Navy Lookout. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  5. ^ "The Royal Navy's Astute class submarines: Part 1 – development and delivery". Navy Lookout. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-1904459552.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Astute-class attack submarines". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  9. ^ a b "BAE Systems - Astute class submarines". baesystems.com. BAE Systems. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  10. ^ "UK's most powerful submarine joins the Navy". Ministry of Defence. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  11. ^ North West Evening Mail Archived 1 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine £300 million order to boost shipyard
  12. ^ MoD Second Astute Class Submarine Officially Named
  13. ^ "Sixth Astute Class submarine keel laid". GOV.UK. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  14. ^ "BAE Systems at Barrow takes major step in nuclear-powered attack submarine development". October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Hail the Warrior King as submarine HMS Agamemnon is launched". Royal Navy. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  16. ^ "6th Astute class submarine HMS Agamemnon rolled out of the build hall". Navy Lookout. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Alien submarine breaks technical barriers". BBC News. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  18. ^ "United States Navy Fact File: Tomahawk Land Attack Missile". navy.mil. US Navy. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2016.