King Charles III has commissioned the Royal Navy’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Astute class, HMS Agamemnon, in a ceremony at Barrow-in-Furness, while the steel was cut for HMS King George VI, the final Dreadnought-class boat.
During the ceremony, HMS Agamemnon – named after a mythical ancient Greek king – became the sixth of the seven Astute-class boats that will be commissioned into service.
The nuclear-powered vessel, which weighs 7,400 tonnes and is 97 metres long, will now complete its test and commissioning program before leaving Barrow for sea trials. The Dreadnought submarines, due to enter service from the early 2030s, are the replacement for the Vanguard-class submarines, which currently deliver the continuous at sea deterrent (CASD) for the Royal Navy.
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⚓ Today, The King attended the Commissioning Ceremony for HMS Agamemnon, part of the Astute Class of nuclear-powered submarines. This formally marked the ship’s entry into the Royal Navy’s service. pic.twitter.com/dpPqztOJ4G
Earlier in the day, Defence Secretary John Healey cut the first steel to officially start construction of the last of four Dreadnought submarines, HMS King George VI, which BAE Systems is building in partnership with the wider defense nuclear enterprise to carry the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
HMS King George VI – named after King Charles’ grandfather – will be one of four submarines carrying out Operation Relentless, the longest-standing mission in the Royal Navy’s history, conducted unbroken since 1969.
“It’s a privilege to host these ceremonies at our shipyard. Cutting steel on the fourth Dreadnought submarine demonstrates the significant progress we’ve made on the programme, whilst the sixth Astute class boat, HMS Agamemnon, joins the long and distinguished list of Barrow-built vessels to be commissioned into the Royal Navy,” Steve Timms , Managing Director, BAE Systems’ Submarines business, said.
“The commissioning of the sixth Astute class submarine, HMS Agamemnon, and the steel cut for the fourth Dreadnought-class submarine, HMS King George VI, mark significant milestones in the Royal Navy’s enduring commitment to safeguarding our nation,” General Sir Gwyn Jenkins , First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, stated.
The first five submarines in the Astute class, HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious, and HMS Anson have been handed over to the Royal Navy, with work well underway on the final Astute boat, HMS Achilles.
BAE Systems is also building four Dreadnought-class submarines: HMS Dreadnought, HMS Valiant, HMS Warspite and HMS King George VI.