What's happening with the RN Astute Class Submarine

Huge build delays, a fire and now the jetty…if I was a superstitious man…..

I would have though the next batch could be ‘B’ class…Broke, Bankrupt, Bust, Broken….

Connected story:

Red faces after jetty damaged

Last updated 11:40, Wednesday, 15 July 2009

A £150M floating pier built for Barrow’s nuclear powered Astute class submarines has been damaged.

By Jon Simpson

Red-faced Royal Navy and contractor’s officials at the Faslane nuclear submarine base were angry at the leak to the Scottish press about the damage to the recently completed Valiant jetty where the class of Astute boats will ultimately dock and be serviced between operations.

Water flooded into two of the seven sections of the pier during an operation in which steel piles taller than Nelson’s Column were being attached and pile driven into the bed of Gareloch where the based is located.

An estimated two million pounds-worth of damage was done when water flooded into the hollow concrete pier sections damaging vital cabling.

A naval bases spokesman said there will be a delay in commissioning the massive 40,000 tonne pier which is longer than two football pitches and is designed to float up and down the piles as the tide rises and falls. But he said: “They are saying in the press there was a blast but there was categorically no blast. The water leaked into the first section and flooded it and there was some flooding of the second section, causing some damage to the electrical work.”

He said the incident and rectifying it was a matter for contractor Morgan Est. Despite the delays to the completion of the Valiant Jetty the Navy says the Astute submarine programme’s timescales won’t be affected. The first Astute submarine is expected to leave Barrow this summer – though a date has not yet been given.

The Faslane spokesman said: “We are still assessing the situation. There is likely to be some delay but it won’t affect the Astutesubmarine programme. The jetty was never going to be the point of arrival for Astute. That was never the programme.”

The big base has several other jetties, including those used by Trident submarines.

If wiki is to be trusted (i don’t like using it, although i will double check my notes against it if i find they are wrong) then Antelope is a fitting name for nothing but a Corvette/Frigate

This is the sort of thing Wikipedia is very good for: basic facts, derived from public sources, not subject to interpretation. There are parts of Wiki I wouldn’t touch with a bargepole, but I’m very happy to use it for first approximation information in this area. At the very least, it often has useful references.

I agree that Antelope doesn’t really fit as an SSN name. It’s neither linked to other Astute class names, nor a former submarine name, nor a former capital ship (what SSNs are, for the RN) name.

“Antelope is also an old name IIRC).”

And you do this from Wiki:

“Twelve ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Antelope, after the Antelope:

HMS Antelope was a galleon carrying between 38 and 44 guns. She was launched in 1546, rebuilt twice and was burned by parliamentarian sailors at Hellevoetsluis in 1649.
HMS Antelope was a 56-gun third rate great frigate launched in 1651 and wrecked in 1652.
HMS Antelope was a 40-gun fourth rate frigate launched in 1653 as Preston and renamed in 1660. She was sold in 1693.
HMS Antelope was a 54-gun fourth rate launched in 1703. She was rebuilt in 1741 and was sold in 1783.
HMS Antelope was a 14-gun sloop purchased in 1784, and lost in a hurricane later that year.
HMS Antelope was a 14-gun brig launched in 1793 and sold after 1830.
HMS Antelope was a 50-gun fourth rate launched in 1802. She was used as a troopship from 1818, was placed on harbour service from 1824 and was broken up in 1845.
HMS Antelope was a 14-gun schooner, the ex-Spanish prize Firefly. She was purchased in 1808 and broken up in 1814.
HMS Antelope was an iron paddle sloop launched in 1846 and sold in 1883.
HMS Antelope was an Alarm-class torpedo gunboat launched in 1893. She was used for harbour service from 1910 and was sold in 1919.
HMS Antelope was an A-class destroyer launched in 1929 and sold in 1946.
HMS Antelope was a Type 21 frigate launched in 1972 and bombed and sunk in the Falklands War in 1982. “

If wiki is to be trusted (i don’t like using it, although i will double check my notes against it if i find they are wrong) then Antelope is a fitting name for nothing but a Corvette/Frigate

Well at least the galley works.

Yum Yum

1997 SDR reduced the SSN force from 12 to 10. A number that is still valid as far as I am concerned. Its such a shame we are going lower.:(

That particular SDR seemed to plan for a navy that was affordable even now, but it looks like its being ignored now.

“Antelope is also an old name IIRC).”

And you do this from Wiki:

“Twelve ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Antelope, after the Antelope:

HMS Antelope was a galleon carrying between 38 and 44 guns. She was launched in 1546, rebuilt twice and was burned by parliamentarian sailors at Hellevoetsluis in 1649.
HMS Antelope was a 56-gun third rate great frigate launched in 1651 and wrecked in 1652.
HMS Antelope was a 40-gun fourth rate frigate launched in 1653 as Preston and renamed in 1660. She was sold in 1693.
HMS Antelope was a 54-gun fourth rate launched in 1703. She was rebuilt in 1741 and was sold in 1783.
HMS Antelope was a 14-gun sloop purchased in 1784, and lost in a hurricane later that year.
HMS Antelope was a 14-gun brig launched in 1793 and sold after 1830.
HMS Antelope was a 50-gun fourth rate launched in 1802. She was used as a troopship from 1818, was placed on harbour service from 1824 and was broken up in 1845.
HMS Antelope was a 14-gun schooner, the ex-Spanish prize Firefly. She was purchased in 1808 and broken up in 1814.
HMS Antelope was an iron paddle sloop launched in 1846 and sold in 1883.
HMS Antelope was an Alarm-class torpedo gunboat launched in 1893. She was used for harbour service from 1910 and was sold in 1919.
HMS Antelope was an A-class destroyer launched in 1929 and sold in 1946.
HMS Antelope was a Type 21 frigate launched in 1972 and bombed and sunk in the Falklands War in 1982. “

Audacious, Astute & Artful go well together, & Adamant, Active, Adept, Acute, Adroit, Alert, & Ardent would be perfect for the rest of a class of 10. All old ship names, & some are former submarines. Ambush doesn’t really fit in, except for having been an Amphion-class sub.

I’d particularly like to see Ardent re-used. It has a long history in the RN, & I remember 1982 . The last First Sea Lord might also like to see his old ships name carry on, unless he prefers not to be reminded of the ship he lost.

Now, that raises a valid point, i had forgotton about T21 names, I’ve no quarrel with Ardent although i dont like Antelope as a name but it would be fitting to reuse both on the same class. (this said the pic of Antelopes magazine blowing is one of the more famous pictures of the war, Antelope is also an old name IIRC).

I’m certain we will at least get 6 and probably 7 but certainly not 10.

No definitely not unless some unknown pro-defence party appears and becomes the most popular in the country before the election. After reading the defence manifests, or lack of them, from every major party, only one actually makes the kind of commitment to defence that would be needed for 10, and they won’t get in.

I might be wrong, I read somewhere that the 97 review initially outlined 12 and that it has been revised downwards ever since to meet budgets.

If we get less than 7 then serious changes to Naval doctrine will be needed in the upcoming SDR. But Labour have effectively committed to 7, the Tories may try to wriggle out but i’m praying they aren’t quite as stupid as they come across in defence matters.

call-me-daves aren’t going to remedy the problem with defence, if anything they’ll continue down the course the UK are heading to atm

I’m certain we will at least get 6 and probably 7 but certainly not 10.

I thought SDR outlined the requirement for 10 although i may be wrong

I might be wrong, I read somewhere that the 97 review initially outlined 12 and that it has been revised downwards ever since to meet budgets.

We will get 7 if were lucky!

If we get less than 7 then serious changes to Naval doctrine will be needed in the upcoming SDR. But Labour have effectively committed to 7, the Tories may try to wriggle out but i’m praying they aren’t quite as stupid as they come across in defence matters.

i would like to see Amphion, Atremis and Apollo but who knows!

Audacious, Astute & Artful go well together, & Adamant, Active, Adept, Acute, Adroit, Alert, & Ardent would be perfect for the rest of a class of 10. All old ship names, & some are former submarines. Ambush doesn’t really fit in, except for having been an Amphion-class sub.

I’d particularly like to see Ardent re-used. It has a long history in the RN, & I remember 1982 . The last First Sea Lord might also like to see his old ships name carry on, unless he prefers not to be reminded of the ship he lost.

We will get 7 if were lucky!

I’m certain that even with the govt. pinching pennies especially from the RN, we will see 7 orerdered. I’d like to see 8 but they have the excuse that they can’t fit itmin before SSBN work begins.

If it was up to me i’d expand capability at Barrow and order 12 like the SDR said we needed. Create quite a few more jobs too.

I thought SDR outlined the requirement for 10 although i may be wrong

I’m certain that even with the govt. pinching pennies especially from the RN, we will see 7 orerdered. I’d like to see 8 but they have the excuse that they can’t fit itmin before SSBN work begins.

If it was up to me i’d expand capability at Barrow and order 12 like the SDR said we needed. Create quite a few more jobs too.

There will need to be more ordered to replace the Trafalgars and maintain the necessary drumbeat to retain skills for the next generation of SSBNs. I can’t see a sub being called Ark Royal, I wouldn’t bet against Achillies or Ajax though.

I am hoping for a second batch with a lot of improvements to be ordered as well sometime in the future. Maybe so many improvements it could be a different class. Guess we will have to wait and see. Any hopes for one of the new batch getting called HMS Ark Royal?

i would like to see Amphion, Atremis and Apollo but who knows!

Astute suffered fire from her conning tower while at port in April. The handover is delayed I think. Not sure about the repair process.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/image_galleries/sub_fire_200904_gallery.shtml