Britain launches nuclear sub that can hear a ship from across the Atlantic
VERY COOL Technology here! - Grats to the Brits!
The first of the UK's new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines has been unveiled in Cumbria by the Duchess of Cornwall.
Due to enter service in 2009, BAE Systems' Astute is the most advanced submarine of its kind and comes bristling with the very latest in military technology.
BAE said: "With a radar signature equivalent to a dolphin, it can remain undetected thousands of miles from home and hundreds of metres underwater.
"In the right conditions it can detect the QE2 leaving New York harbour from the English Channel."
The 7,800 tonne submarine is slowly moved into position
Plated in specially-designed acoustic tiles that minimize its signature as it glides through the water the Astute is ideal for top-secret covert operations across the globe.
It will be able to remain hundreds of metres under water for up to 90 days at a time while keeping its 98-strong crew safe as they sleep, eat and breath within metres of a nuclear power plant.
Astute has more firepower than any previous attack sub. Its Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles are capable of delivering pin-point strikes from 2,000km (1,240 miles).
It has also replaced the conventional periscope with a series of communications masts which transmit data to and from the command deck.
However, its key asset is its stealth. Even with a nuclear reactor and four powerful turbines propelling it through the water, less than one watt of power is radiated, making it incredibly quiet.
Its nuclear reactor means that it will never need to be refuelled in its 25-year lifetime.
It can also generate its own air and water so it is able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing.
The submarine - almost half as big again as the Royal Navy's current fleet of attack boats - is one of three under construction at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness.
The Astute submarine under construction at Barrow
In a break from tradition, there was no "splash" as the vessel hit the water.
It is actually on a huge mechanical trolley, moving at a metre a minute, and will take three hours to clear the hall and only be lowered into the water tomorrow.
Camilla was also presented with a Retriever puppy - a retriever is on the crest of HMS Astute - which will be donated as a guide dog for the blind.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/a...tic/article.do
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Originally Posted by Mr. P
