Lilo
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The world's most advanced submarine gets ready to dive
By Brian Milligan
Business reporter, BBC News, Barrow, Cumbria
"It's a mean looking beast. I think it looks like the alien," remarks Chris Nelson of BAE Systems, as we walk round the front of the Royal Navy's new Astute submarine in Barrow.
Looming above us is a construction shed 12 storeys high. Within it are three nuclear-powered submarines at different stages of construction.
And as a huge, red neon sign reminds the workforce, the first one is now just 32 days away from launch.
But to judge by the scaffolding surrounding it, it's hard to believe it's going to be ready on time.
"I'm determined it will be," says operations director Nigel Ward. "However it's a nuclear submarine, and lots of things can go wrong."
Under all its covers, Astute is a technological phenomenon. Its nuclear reactor means it'll never need refuelling in the whole of its 25 year life.
Since it makes its own air and water, it can circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface.
And its weapons systems are so accurate that were it positioned in the English Channel, its cruise missiles could pinpoint targets as far away as North Africa.
Indeed, down in the weapons room it looks like a Tomahawk cruise missile is already waiting to be loaded into one of the torpedo tubes.
"It's only a dummy," says the man who's keeping a close eye on us. His job is to stop us photographing anything that might give away some of Astute's secret capabilities.
Reduced requirements
It may be one of the most sophisticated submarines ever built, but the project has been beset with problems. The three submarines are £900m ($1.8bn) over budget and four years behind the original schedule.
ASTUTE FACTS
Cost: £3.5bn for three subs
Weight: 7,800 tons
Length: 97m
Time to build: 6 years 4 months
Power: pressurized water reactor, fuelled for life
Crew: 98
But a new boss at Barrow, Murray Easton, introduced big changes when he arrived a few years back.
A team of psychologists was brought into the yard to improve management effectiveness, and to create better ways of communication. Even now a psychologist is present at every board meeting.
Another big innovation, learnt from the America submarine-builder Electric Boat, was to build sections of the submarine vertically rather than horizontally. Equipment can be lowered in with the help of gravity, cutting the need for manpower dramatically.
Future missiles
It all leads to a prouder, more committed workforce.
"We needed help over Easter," says Nigel Ward, "and over 300 men volunteered to work, even though the weather forecast was good."
Workers are also enthusiastic about what they have built.
"It's a fantastic product," says Andy Ogden as he stands near the conning tower of Astute. "And something the Navy will be extremely proud of when they get their hands on it in a year's time."
Three-and-a-half thousand other workers have a vested interest in such customer satisfaction.
Because if all goes according to plan, they'll be rewarded with contracts to build four more Astute submarines, and eventually the submarines that will carry the next generation of Britain's nuclear missiles.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6625477.stm
When HMS Astute, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful enter service, they will be the largest and most powerful nuclear attack submarines ever built for the Royal Navy, equipped with the world’s most advanced sonar system, Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of delivering pin-point strikes 2,000km from the coast.
Able to circumnavigate the entire globe while submerged she will be able to carry 38 torpedoes and missiles - more than any previous RN submarine.
Astute’s Captain will never have to hunch over an optical periscope - a range of equipment including thermal imaging cameras and low light video and CCD TV sensors will enable Astute to capture and then analyse surface images.
SSN Astute Class Attack Submarine, United Kingdom
The Royal Navy's Astute class submarine is a nuclear-powered attack submarine which is to replace the five Swiftsure class submarines, launched between 1973 and 1977 and approaching the end of their operational life.
"The Astute class nuclear-powered attack submarine is to replace the five Swiftsure class submarines, launched in the 1970s."
The initial order quantity is three, but the UK MOD has stated that it is planning a second batch of three. The performance specification of the Astute is an extension of the performance of the Trafalgar Class Batch 1 fleet of the Royal Navy's Second Submarine Squadron based at Devonport. The Astute Class submarines will be based at Faslane in Scotland.
BAE Systems Astute Class Ltd is prime contractor for the project and the submarines are being built at BAE Systems Marine Barrow shipyard. The Astute ships are to be named Astute, Ambush and Artful.
It is planned that the three submarines will enter service in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The keel for the first-of-class Astute was laid in January 2001 and it is planned to be launched in August 2007 and delivered in August 2008. The keel of Ambush was laid in October 2003 and that of Artful in March 2005.
BAE Systems is in discussion with the UK MOD for a fourth Astute Class submarine and a decision is expected in early 2007.
Trafalgar Batch 1 submarines are to be decommissioned by 2022, beginning with HMS Trafalgar in 2008.
COMBAT SYSTEM
The Astute Combat Management System (ACMS) is being supplied by BAE Systems Insyte (formerly Alenia Marconi Systems) and is a development of the Submarine Command System (SMCS) currently in service in all classes of UK submarines.
ACMS receives data from the sonars and other sensors and, through advanced algorithms and data handling, displays real time images on the command consoles. Factory acceptance of the operational software was received from the Astute Prime Contract Office in July 2002.
EADS Defence & Security Systems Ltd and EADS Hagenuk Marinekommunikation were awarded the contract to provide the external communications systems for the Astute in August 2005.
Strachan and Henshaw are to provide the Weapon Handling and Launch System (WHLS).
MISSILES
The Astute will be equipped with the Tomahawk Block IV (Tactical Tomahawk) cruise missile from Raytheon fired from the 533mm torpedo tubes.
"The Astute class submarines will be equipped with the Tomahawk Block IV (Tactical Tomahawk) cruise missile."
Tomahawk is equipped with the TERCOM terrain contour mapping-assisted inertial navigation system. The terrain contour mapping for use over land combines onboard radar altimeter measurements with terrain mapping data installed in the missile.
Block II added Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) guidance. Block III improvements include an improved propulsion system and Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance capability. The GPS provides location and velocity data of the missile for precision targeting.
Tomahawk has a range of up to 1,000 miles and a maximum velocity of 550mph. Block IV includes a two-way satellite link that allows reprogramming of the missile in flight and transmission of Battle Damage Indication (BDI) imagery.
TORPEDOES
Astute will have six 533mm torpedo tubes, and will be equipped with Spearfish torpedoes and mines. There is capacity for a total of 36 torpedoes and missiles.
The Spearfish torpedo from BAE Systems is wire-guided with an active / passive homing head. The range is 65km at 60kt. Spearfish is fitted with a directed-energy warhead.
COUNTERMEASURES
The countermeasures suite will include decoys and Electronic Support Measures (ESM). The The ESM system is the Thales Sensors Outfit UAP(4). Outfit UAP(4) has two multi-function antenna arrays which are mounted on the two non-hull penetrating optronics masts from Thales (formerly Pilkington) Optronics and McTaggart Scott.
Astute Class submarines are to be fitted with the Royal Navy's new Eddystone Communications band Electronic Support Measures (CESM) system, also to be fitted to the Trafalgar Class submarines. The Eddystone system is being developed by DML of Devonport UK, with Argon ST of the USA. It will provide advanced communications, signal intercept, recognition, direction-finding and monitoring capability.
SENSORS
Astute is fitted with I-band navigation radars. The sonar is the Thales Underwater Systems (formerly Thomson Marconi Sonar) 2076 integrated passive / active search and attack sonar suite with bow, intercept, flank and towed arrays. Sonar 2076 has been fitted to three Trafalgar class submarines and entered service in February 2003.
Atlas Hydrographic will provide the DESO 25 high-precision echosounder, to be fitted on the Astute. DESO 25 is capable of precise depth measurements down to 10,000m.
"It is planned that the three submarines will enter service in 2009, 2010 and 2011."
Astute will have two non-hull-penetrating CM010 optronic masts developed by Thales Optronics. McTaggart Scott will supply the masts. The CM010 mast includes thermal imaging, low light TV and colour CCD TV sensors.
Raytheon Systems Ltd has been contracted to provide the Successor IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) naval transponder system for the Astute class.
PROPULSION
The nuclear power will be provided by the Rolls-Royce PWR 2 pressurised water reactor. The long-life core fitted on the PWR 2 means that refuelling will not be necessary in the service life of the submarine.
The other main items of machinery are two Alsthom turbines, and a single shaft with a Rolls-Royce pump jet propulsor, consisting of moving rotor blades within a fixed duct. There are two diesel alternators, one emergency drive motor and one auxiliary retractable propeller. CAE Electronics is to provide the digital, integrated controls and instrumentation system for steering, diving, depth control and platform management.
The PWR 2 second-generation nuclear reactor was developed for the Vanguard Class Trident submarines. Current generations of PWR would allow submarines to circumnavigate the world about 20 times, whereas the latest development of PWR would allow circumnavigation 40 times without refuelling.
The major equipment components in the development of PWR 2 are the reactor pressure vessels from Babcock Energy, main coolant pumps from GEC and from Weir, and protection and control instrumentation from Siemens Plessey and Thorn Automation.
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/astute/index.html#astute10
I'd soo like to have this sub in our navy
