Sunday 8 July 2012

Then There Were Four – The movements of our Fleet Submarines are of course confidential and on paper we have a force of seven (7) but as you will see from the following chart that works back to only four (4) being operational and on operations.      The TRENCHANT is about to replace the TRIUMPH "East of Suez", leaving the TIRELESS and TALENT to cover the Atlantic (North and South including the Falklands).
 
 
Longer term the TORBAY (from maintenance) will replace the retiring TURBULENT and the ASTUTE will become finally operational late this year, just in time to replace the TIRELESS which is due to depart the fleet next year.   True we now have the relative “luxury” of having a building programme that will mean we will have an new “Astute” more or less carrying out sea trials but whether these would ever be used (or useful) on operations is a moot point.  So for the next decade and more (until 2025 ?) we will have just four (4) and just maybe (5) units in operational service, bar any accidents or mishaps.   This is the situation:-

Non Operational
Submarine
Status
OSD in 2005
Actual OSD
Replaced By
TRAFALGAR
Decommissioned
2008
Dec. 2009
ASTUTE   (2012)
TURBULENT
Decommissioning
2011
July 2012
AMBUSH  (2013)
 
Operational
Submarine
Status
OSD in 2005
Commissioned
Replaced By
TIRELESS
Southampton - March 2012
2013
October 1985
ARTFUL    (2015)
TORBAY
Assisted Maintenance
2015
February 1987
AUDACIOUS   (2018)
TRENCHANT
Working Up
2017
January 1989
ANSON    (2020)
TALENT
Simonstown  – May 2012
2019
May 1990
AGAMEMNON        (2022)
TRIUMPH
On Station – East of Suez
2022
October 1991
AJAX      (2024)

Building Programme
Submarine
Status
ISD
ASTUTE
In February 2012 was at the Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (Bahamas) for a series of war games, vessel scheduled to be handed over to the Royal Navy for operational service in late 2012.
2012
AMBUSH
Completed initial dive test in Sept. 2011 -  To begin sea trials this Year
2013
ARTFUL           
Under construction
2015
AUDACIOUS
Under construction
2018
ANSON           
Under construction
2020
AGAMEMNOM
Ordered
2022
AJAX
Confirmed (Not ordered)
2024

                     OSD = Out of Service Date                                           ISD = In Service Date
                       

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