Agamemnon, the latest Royal Navy Astute Class attack submarine has been launched at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Named after the ancient Greek king, Agamemnon is the sixth of seven Astute Class submarines, all of which have been designed and built at the Company’s historic Barrow shipyard – home of UK submarine building. The nuclear-powered boat, which weighs in at 7,400 tonnes and is 97 metres long, rolled out of the Devonshire Dock Hall and entered the water for the first time today. Agamemnon will now begin the next phase of its test and commissioning programme, before leaving Barrow for sea trials with the Royal Navy. The Astute Class boats are the largest and most advanced attack submarines ever built for the Royal Navy. The first five submarines in the class, HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson, have been handed over to the Royal Navy, with work well underway for the final Astute boat, Agincourt.
Agamemnon Commanding Officer, Commander David ‘Bing’ Crosby, said: “There is still plenty to do until we get to exit Agamemnon from Barrow, but the entire workforce should be full of pride for what they have achieved with this build so far. I am looking forward to working with our friends at BAE Systems, the Submarine Delivery Agency and the wider Defence Nuclear Enterprise to get Agamemnon through these final tests and ready for her exit from Barrow.”
Steve Timms, Managing Director, BAE Systems Submarines, said: “This is a hugely significant milestone for everyone at BAE Systems, the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and the Royal Navy. The design and build of a nuclear-powered submarine is incredibly complex and a truly national endeavour and I pay tribute to the thousands of highly-skilled people who have helped get Agamemnon to this stage. Submarines are a vital component of the UK’s defence capabilities and we must now work collectively to ensure Agamemnon is ready to join her sister submarines in service with the Royal Navy.”
The Astute class is the latest class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines (SSNs) in service with the Royal Navy.[2] The boats are being constructed by BAE Systems Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness. Seven boats will be constructed: the first of class, Astute, was launched by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in 2007, commissioned in 2010, and declared fully operational in May 2014. The Astute class is the replacement for the Trafalgar-class fleet submarines in Royal Navy service. Their state-of-the-art nuclear technology means they never need to be refuelled and, as they manufacture their own oxygen and drinking water for their 98 crew members, they are able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing. In 2023, as part of the joint planning within the AUKUS defence group, it was indicated that, from 2027, one Astute-class submarine would forward operate on rotation from HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.
