HMS Astute

HMS Astute, after a successful five month deployment to the United States of America, the submarine is now in a maintenance period before returning to sea late 2012 and completing sea trials early 2013. She will then become an Operational Unit and conduct her first Operational Deployment.

HMS Astute has been described as ”more complex than the Space Shuttle” and is arguably the finest attack submarine in the world today – and a sign of how far the Silent Service has come in a century, as Astute's keel was laid almost exactly 100 years to the day after the keel of Holland 1, the first RN submarine, was laid at the same yard in Barrow.

Not the least of the advances is the space on board – although the density of machinery is still three times that of a surface ship, she is the first attack submarine with enough bunks for everybody on board, plus spare space for another 11.

Current and past boats have 'hot-bunked' – as a sailor goes on duty another takes over the bunk space.