Successful First Dive for Astute
The first of class Astute submarines ever built for the Royal Navy, has dived beneath the waves for the first time, at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow, North West England.
Astute is crammed with sophisticated technologies, including advanced nuclear reactor, sonar, optical mast, combat management and weapons systems. But paradoxically, the measurement of its performance during this maiden dive was assessed using a tool employed by generations of submarine builders and naval architects – a simple plumb line, similar to that used by the ancient Egyptians while building the pyramids.
The line, suspended on up to eight metres of wire running through three decks, has its large pendulum ‘bob’ immersed in a bath of oil to dampen its swing. As the boat is rolled from port to starboard, accurate measurements are taken to prove that the submarine is performing according to its design specifications.
During two days of tests, involving a joint BAE Systems and Royal Navy crew of 60, the dive characteristics of Astute will be tested, along with safety critical systems including escape hatches, hydraulics and electrics.
On completion of the first dive tests, Astute will return to dry land and re-enter the huge Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow, for further engineering and commissioning work. She is due to be handed over to the Royal Navy next autumn and enter service in 2009.
Once deployed, Astute is designed not to require refuelling throughout her full service life – in excess of 25 years – and has the ability to patrol for 90 days while remaining undetected, thousands of miles from home and hundreds of metres underwater.
BAE Systems, as the UK’s only manufacturer of submarines, is responsible for the design, build and initial in-service support of the four 7,400 tonne Astute class boats currently under various stages of construction and commissioning at its Barrow facility.
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