Britain’s newest attack submarine, HMS Agamemnon, finally departed the shipyard yesterday after 13 years of construction.
The 7,400-tonne, 97-metre hunter-killer vessel is the sixth Astute Class nuclear-powered submarine built for the Royal Navy, at a cost of £1.65billion.
Its construction has been exceptionally lengthy.
The programme was commissioned in 2013, and the Ministry of Defence had expected Agamemnon to join the operational nuclear fleet by 2022.
With a crew of 100, Agamemnon left the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness to begin sea trials ahead of formally entering active service.
During its maiden voyage, the submarine passed through the shipyard’s dock system before reaching the Walney Channel and heading into the Irish Sea for the first time in open waters.
Once operational, Agamemnon will join fellow hunter-killer submarines HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson in Royal Navy service.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said Agamemnon “embodies the best of British engineering and the professionalism of our submariners” and would be “one of the most advanced submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy”.
HMS Agamemnon will now undergo sea trials, marking a major step towards delivering the highly capable attack submarine and strengthening security for the UK and the Euro-Atlantic, according to the Ministry of Defence.
PM Andy Burnham is pictured with the nuclear submarine in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in July earlier this year.
Sir Gwyn added: “As we continue to strengthen our warfighting readiness, HMS Agamemnon will play a central role in keeping the United Kingdom safe, contributing to Nato’s collective defence and ensuring we are ready to lead, fight and win.”
The £1.65billion submarine was named after the ancient Greek king Agamemnon, in a nod to Lord Nelson’s favourite ship, which was affectionately known as “Eggs and Bacon”.
The vessel was officially named at BAE Systems’ Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
HMS Agamemnon was blessed and christened, with a bottle of beer from the local Ulverston Brewing Company smashed against its hull.
The 97-metre-long submarine, the sixth Astute Class vessel, had been due to launch in 2024 before entering Royal Navy service.
Its launch follows reports earlier this year that the Royal Navy’s entire available fleet of hunter-killer submarines was stuck in port and unable to sail, leaving Britain exposed to threats from Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
In another setback for Britain’s Armed Forces, all five of its Astute Class submarines were reported to be laid up awaiting maintenance and other repair work.
Military experts have warned that the shortage of operational nuclear-powered attack submarines, which can carry up to 38 Spearfish torpedoes and a battery of Tomahawk missiles, leaves the UK’s undersea internet and power cables vulnerable to sabotage by the Kremlin.
The submarines also have a vital role in protecting the larger Vanguard vessels, which carry the Trident ballistic missiles forming Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
The revelations came just a day after the Mail reported that one of Britain’s flagship £3.5billion aircraft carriers had broken down again and been forced into port in Norway for repairs.
And on Friday the head of the UK’s military warned that the threats faced by Britain are greater than at any time since the Cold War.
In stark comments, Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, said Russia has been ‘probing, challenging, testing our defences’ and is ‘raising the stakes and risks crossing a line’.
He told the BBC: ‘I’m very clear that this is the most dangerous time I have known in my working life.
‘The risks and threats to this country are greater than I have known since the Cold War.’
Lord West, former First Sea Lord and Labour security minister, said it was ‘unacceptable’ and ‘very worrying’ that Astute subs are out of action.
‘The attack submarines are fundamental for looking after our ballistic missile submarines,’ he added.
‘They are fundamental for frightening and terrifying the Russians.
‘The fact that there has not been money invested in dry docks, in the maintenance facilities, in the men required to maintain and repair the submarines, in the spare parts for those submarines is why we have got to this position.
‘It is just unacceptable and puts us in a very difficult position. If we haven’t even got an attack submarine available for use, then things are looking pretty bad.’
