King Charles Commissions New Royal Navy Attack Sub
After 12 years of construction, the Royal Navy is celebrating the commissioning of another of its most advanced hunter-killer submarines, this time with a royal welcome.
The HMS Agamemnon (S123), built at a cost of $2 billion, was commissioned at the BAE Systems’ yard in Barrow-in-Furness by King Charles III in a ceremony that departed from naval tradition. The King read the commissioning warrant, an act that is typically performed by the Fleet Commander.
Following the commissioning, the 7,400 tonnes nuclear-powered boat that is 97 meters long is expected to complete her final tests and commissioning program before leaving Barrow for sea trials. Nicknamed "Awesome Aggie," the boat becomes the sixth of seven Astute-class submarines built for the Royal Navy over the past quarter of a century. Once fully operational, she will be based at the HM Naval Base Clyde, joining her five sister submarines that are already in service.
The contract for Agamemnon was awarded in 2010, with her keel laid in 2013 marking the beginning of a 12-year construction period, which BAE Systems has described as quite complex. She becomes the sixth Royal Navy vessel to carry the name taken from the Greek king from the Trojan Wars going back to the late 18th century.
Described as the most advanced hunter-killer, Agamemnon is expected to carry out a number of important roles from covert surveillance, tactical strikes to protecting critical underwater infrastructure owing to her advanced weaponry that includes the spearfish heavyweight torpedo and the Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missile, which has a range of some 1,000 miles.
The Tomahawk IV has a longer range but can also be re-directed at a new target mid-flight. It can also beam back images of the battlefield to other assets. The UK says the boat will be pivotal to the country’s national security going into the second half of the 21st Century.
“HMS Agamemnon is a product of stealth, equipped with world-leading sensors and is crewed by a highly-trained and dedicated crew. Together, they form a formidable capability, vital to protecting the United Kingdom’s security interests and supporting our global responsibilities,” said Commander David Crosby.
Crosby is taking over Agamemnon’s command, having commanded her three older sister boats namely Astute, Artful and Anson.
Apart from the commissioning of Agamemnon, the event also marked the steel cutting for the fourth and last Dreadnought-class submarine, HMS King George VI, that is also being built by BAE Systems. The boats, due to enter service from the early 2030s, are the replacement for the Vanguard-class submarines.
King Charles also visited Barrow Town Hall to bestow Royal Port status on the town in honor of its 120-year history as the home of UK submarine construction. Two boats, the final Astute-class submarine Agincourt and Dreadnought are currently under construction in the gigantic Devonshire Dock Hall, which dominates the Barrow townscape.