US 'taken aback' by HMS Astute

The United States Navy was 'blown away' by the performance of HMS Astute during sea trials in the Atlantic recently, the ship's commanding officer has said.

Commander Ian Breckenridge, 45, led HMS Astute through four-and-a-half months of sea trials off the US east coast and said the submarine had demonstrated "tremendous capability".

"We met and surpassed every expectation. She is just better than any other submarine I have ever been on," he said.

During the trials, Astute took part in simulated battles with American Virginia Class submarine USS New Mexico, deep dived, and fired her Tomahawk missiles and Spearfish torpedoes. HMS Astute sailed 16,400 miles during the deployment.

The success comes after a series of operational setbacks during the submarine's sea trials to date, with Astute becoming grounded on a shingle bank in late 2010 and later damaged by a tug sent to recover her. The attack submarine also suffered a failure of support systems in February 2011.

"Astute is still on trial and she is first of class, which always brings its own problems, but we are beginning to look beyond those problems and see the promise," said Commander Breckenridge, who previously served on HMS Superb and HMS Tireless.

"We fired off four Tomahawks, aimed at a corner of Eglin Air Force Base to test for accuracy, and we fired six Spearfish torpedoes, including the first salvo firing by a British submarine for 15 years.

"Our sonar is fantastic and I have never before experienced holding a submarine at the range we were holding USS New Mexico. The Americans were utterly taken aback, blown away with what they were seeing."

Second in class HMS Ambush was launched in 2011 and is set to begin sea trials later this year. The UK is to receive seven Astute class submarines overall.



US 'taken aback' by HMS Astute - Defence Management

It looks like it took a long time for it to be built and commissioned!!

there was some accident near northern England as far as i know...

They like their French sonar... so nice.