The world’s most advanced attack submarine has become a part of the Royal Navy fleet. The £1.3 BILLION HMS Anson armed with 38 Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk Block V cruise missiles can take out enemy ships 1,000 miles away.
Anson comprises a nuclear reactor onboard. This means it will never need to be refuelled.
The boat is 318 feet (97 metres) long, can carry a crew of 98 and has a top speed of over 30 knots
It was received today at a commissioning ceremony in Barrow, attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It is equipped to destroy enemy ships and submarines, gather intelligence and protect other Royal Navy vessels from above or below the waves.
Anson is the fifth of the new ‘Astute’ class attack submarines joining the fleet, which are described as the largest and most advanced ever operated by the Navy.
Commander David Crosby, the boat’s first Commanding Officer, said that ‘HMS Anson would go on to be the best Astute-class submarine yet’.
Anson was named after Admiral George Anson, a Royal Navy officer from the 18th Century who made a four-year voyage around the world and led a victory against the French at Cape Finisterre in 1747
Additionally, the boat can also purify water and air, its time underwater will only be limited by the amount of food onboard. This means that it can easily circumnavigate the globe without resurfacing.
It took some 20 million hours of work over 11 years to prepare the 7,800-tonne boat for action, which is dubbed more complex than the International Space Station.
The submarine was rolled out of Devonshire Dock Hall in April 2021 and lowered into Wet Dock, where engineers and crew have been testing equipment and optimizing its systems.
The boat joins HMS Astute, Ambush, Artful and Audacious in the Astute program which is, allegedly, one of the most complex engineering projects in the world.
The sixth and seventh Astute class boats are currently at an advanced stage of construction.
The submarine will remain in Barrow for a few more weeks undergoing final checks before being sailed to the HM Naval Base Clyde in Faslane to prepare for sea trials.
Commodore Paul Dunn, the head of the Royal Navy Submarine Service, said: ‘The commissioning is a significant milestone for both Anson and the Submarine Service and I would like to thank the crew, BAE Systems, and the ‘submarine enterprise’ for the delivery of our fifth Astute class.
‘I look forward to welcoming Anson to Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, the home of the Submarine Service, in the near future.’
Proceedings were ended when the White Ensign flag was hoisted for the first time and a ceremonial cake was cut by sponsor Julie Weale and the youngest member of the crew