U.K. Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine HMS Astute Visits Southampton

Someoneforyou

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
990
Likes
51
State Of The Art Astute Visits Southampton
UNITED KINGDOM - 5 april 2011

There's the first chance for people outside the North-West and Scotland to see Britain's most advanced submarine when HMS Astute visits Southampton tomorrow.

The boat is spending five days on Southampton Water, alongside at the designated Z Berth in the Eastern Docks.
Her visit will help pave the way for ties between the port and Astute's sister HMS Artful; the third boat in the multi-billion-pound programme, still under under construction at BAE Systems' yard in Barrow, will be affiliated to Southampton once she's launched.

As for Astute, she won't be open to the general public during her time in Southampton, but civic leaders, Sea Cadets, scouts and school and college parties will be invited on board for a rare glimpse inside the 7,500 tonne underwater leviathan.

Courtesy of the boat's 98 crew they'll learn that Astute weighs as much as 65 blue whales, there's enough cabling on board to stretch from Southampton to Bristol, there's no traditional periscope but a hi-tech camera which captures a 360Ëš image of the surface, the boat's faster underwater than on the surface (in excess of 20kts), and when they begin their first operational tour, the crew will wolf down 18,000 sausages and 4,200 Weetabix for breakfast (but not every day"¦).

Astute's Commanding Officer, Cdr Iain Breckenridge – who previously brought HMS Tireless into Southampton five years ago – is

"delighted to be coming back. My ship's company and I are very much looking forward to the visit – and meeting the people of the city."

"And I'm sure scouts, school pupils and other visitors will be impressed with the capabilities of this formidable vessel."

Built in Barrow and based at Faslane, this is Astute's first foray south. Since commissioning last August the £1bn boat has had an 'interesting' time, not least an unscheduled 'visit' to Skye in October. Since that grounding incident Astute's been repaired and is now in the middle of a demanding trials programme.

Once operational she'll be the quietest, largest and most powerful hunter-killer boat in the five decades the Silent Service has operated Fleet submarines.

Astute is due to arrive around 1pm tomorrow and will depart Southampton at 3.15pm on Sunday.









Source: U.K. Ministry of Defence
 

Armand2REP

CHINI EXPERT
Senior Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
13,811
Likes
6,734
Country flag
You will report that but not an RN submarine having propulsion problems? Really??
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top