Britain’s newest attack submarine, HMS Agamemnon, left the shipyard yesterday after spending 13 years under construction.
The 7,400-tonne, 97-metre hunter-killer submarine is the sixth vessel in the Royal Navy’s Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet. It was built at a cost of £1.65 billion.
The submarine’s construction was marked by an exceptionally lengthy delay.
Although it was commissioned in 2013, the Ministry of Defence had expected HMS Agamemnon to become an operational part of Britain’s nuclear fleet by 2022.
Carrying a crew of 100, HMS Agamemnon departed BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness for sea trials, the next major stage before it formally enters active service.
During its maiden voyage, the submarine navigated the shipyard’s dock system before entering the Walney Channel and heading into the Irish Sea for the first time in open waters.
Once operational, HMS Agamemnon will join fellow Astute-class hunter-killer submarines HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson in Royal Navy service.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said HMS Agamemnon “embodies the best of British engineering and the professionalism of our submariners” and would be “one of the most advanced submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy”.
HMS Agamemnon will now undergo sea trials, a major step towards delivering the highly capable attack submarine to strengthen security for the UK and the Euro-Atlantic, the Ministry of Defence said
PM Andy Burnham is pictured with the nuclear submarine in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in July earlier this year
Sir Gwyn added: “As we continue to strengthen our warfighting readiness, HMS Agamemnon will play a central role in keeping the United Kingdom safe, contributing to Nato’s collective defence and ensuring we are ready to lead, fight and win.”
The £1.65 billion nuclear submarine takes its name from the ancient Greek king Agamemnon, while also paying tribute to Lord Nelson’s favourite ship, which was affectionately known as “Eggs and Bacon”.
HMS Agamemnon was formally named at BAE Systems’ Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
The vessel was blessed and christened, with a bottle of beer from the local Ulverston Brewing Company smashed against its hull.
The sixth Astute-class submarine, which measures 97 metres in length, had been scheduled to launch in 2024 before being commissioned into the Royal Navy.
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The submarine’s departure comes after reports earlier this year claimed that the Royal Navy’s entire available fleet of hunter-killer submarines was stuck in port and unable to sail, leaving Britain exposed to the threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
In another setback for Britain’s Armed Forces, all five of its existing Astute-class submarines were said to be laid up while awaiting maintenance and other repair work.
Military experts have warned that the shortage of operational nuclear-powered attack submarines—which can carry up to 38 Spearfish torpedoes and a battery of Tomahawk missiles—could leave the UK’s undersea internet and power cables dangerously vulnerable to sabotage by the Kremlin.
The submarines also have a crucial role in protecting the larger Vanguard-class vessels, which carry the Trident ballistic missiles that form the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent.
The revelations came just a day after the Mail reported that one of Britain’s flagship £3.5 billion aircraft carriers had broken down again and been forced into port in Norway for repairs.
And on Friday the head of the UK’s military warned that the threats faced by Britain are greater than at any time since the Cold War.
In stark comments, Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, said Russia has been ‘probing, challenging, testing our defences’ and is ‘raising the stakes and risks crossing a line’.
He told the BBC: ‘I’m very clear that this is the most dangerous time I have known in my working life.
‘The risks and threats to this country are greater than I have known since the Cold War.’
Lord West, former First Sea Lord and Labour security minister, said it was ‘unacceptable’ and ‘very worrying’ that Astute subs are out of action.
‘The attack submarines are fundamental for looking after our ballistic missile submarines,’ he added.
‘They are fundamental for frightening and terrifying the Russians.
‘The fact that there has not been money invested in dry docks, in the maintenance facilities, in the men required to maintain and repair the submarines, in the spare parts for those submarines is why we have got to this position.
‘It is just unacceptable and puts us in a very difficult position. If we haven’t even got an attack submarine available for use, then things are looking pretty bad.’