ASTUTE-CLASS SSN

The Astute-class represents the UK's most capable nuclear submarine, replacing the Cold War-era Trafalgar class. Each Astute carries up to 38 weapons — a mix of Spearfish wire-guided torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles — making it one of the most lethal platform-to-displacement submarines in service. The 2076 sonar suite is considered by some analysts to be the world's most capable non-US sonar, able to detect submerged targets at ranges exceeding 50 km. The class has suffered significant production delays and cost overruns, with the first boat HMS Astute taking 13 years to build. All 7 boats of the class are now in service. They will be supplemented — and eventually replaced — by the SSN-AUKUS boat being developed jointly with Australia and the US.