Constructed by BAE Systems Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness, The Astute Class attack submarines are the replacement for the Royal Navy Trafalgar Class. The lead boat of the class, HMS Astute (S119) was launched in 2007 and commissioned in 2010. The type is the largest attack submarine in Royal Navy history.
Powered by a Rolls-Royce PWR2 (Core H) nuclear reactor, the submarine will not need to be refueled during its 25-year service life. The submarine can purify water and air so it theoretically has unlimited endurance only being limited by the amount of food and supplies it can carry and needs of the crew.
The Astute Class boats can carry up to 38 weapons which typically are comprised of a mix of Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles. The boats are fitted with perhaps the world's best sonar system consisting of an integrated passive/active search and attack sonar suite comprised of bow, intercept, flank and towed arrays. The submarine is covered by more than 39,000 anechoic tiles which absorb active sonar as well as reduce radiated sound.
In 2021, HMS Astute participated on exercises with the US Navy Virginia Class submarine, USS New Mexico. Royal Navy Commander Iain Breckenridge stated, "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."
The Astute Class boats are amongst the best and most advanced submarines operating in the world's oceans today.