- Latest Astute Class submarine, HMS Agamemnon has sailed from
the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness.
- She will now undergo sea trials a major step towards
delivering the highly capable attack submarine to bolster
security for the UK and the Euro-Atlantic.
- The UK's submarine industrial base is benefitting from £6
billion of Government investment over the Spending Review period
and sustains thousands of jobs.
UK and Euro-Atlantic security will soon be boosted, as the Royal
Navy's sixth powerful attack submarine departs from
Barrow-in-Furness.
The newest Royal Navy conventionally armed nuclear-powered
submarine, HMS Agamemnon and nicknamed Awesome Aggie', will
now begin sea trials - a period of testing ahead of joining
active service with the Royal Navy.
The Astute Class are the largest, most advanced and most powerful
attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy. Weighing 7,400
tonnes and at 97 metres long, they are just short of the length
of two Olympic swimming pools. Powered by a Rolls-Royce
Submarines nuclear reactor, produced in Derby in the Midlands,
the submarine will not need to refuel for the duration of her
service life.
The submarine's high-tech capabilities include stealthy precision
strike, anti-submarine warfare, and intelligence gathering. HMS
Agamemnon will be armed with heavyweight Spearfish torpedoes and
Tomahawk IV land attack missiles, able to strike targets at a
range of more than 1,000 miles.
Alongside their role supporting the continuous at sea deterrent,
Astute Class submarines are also involved in protecting maritime
task groups and providing support to UK, NATO and coalition
operations.
Prime Minister Andy said:
"Having seen first-hand the dedication and pride of the workforce
in Barrow, and that of the thousands of people who work across
our submarine supply chain in the United Kingdom, I know how much
this milestone will mean to each and every one of them.
"As one of the most advanced submarines ever built, HMS Agamemnon
will play a major role in further boosting our security here at
home and across NATO."
Defence Secretary, MP said:
"Deterrence is the bedrock of our national security. Another
formidable attack submarine going to sea strengthens that
deterrence and demonstrates how we are stepping up to meet the
threats of a more dangerous world.
"I've been on board HMS Agamemnon and met her submariners and the
skilled workers who delivered this incredible feat of
engineering. It's a powerful reminder of how strengthening our
defence creates good jobs, opens up opportunity, and
reindustrialises our country.
HMS Agamemnon's departure from Barrow-in-Furness is the result of
years of work by a highly skilled workforce. This includes the
engineers, technicians and specialists at BAE Systems and the
Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), together with the ship's
company who will take her into service. Their combined expertise
reflects the depth of skill sustained in Barrow and across the
UK's submarine enterprise.
Building on commitments to continuous submarine production made
in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, and reinforced in the
Defence Investment Plan (DIP), the completion of HMS Agamemnon
demonstrates the strength and reliability of British industry and
its world-leading nuclear technology.
The DIP is backed by £298 billion over the next four years,
including £47 billion for investment in our submarine build
programmes, which also covers maintenance and infrastructure.
Part of that spend will enable the UK to produce a submarine
every 18 months in support of the SSN-AUKUS programme.
Recognising Barrow's role as a strategic national asset, DNE
spending is fuelling substantial growth and expansion in the
town. The economic certainty from the government's commitment to
the submarine building programme underpins the 10-year Plan for
Barrow, backed by the £200 million Barrow Transformation Fund.
More than 14,000 roles in Barrow-in-Furness are supported by
defence nuclear work, with 1,800 additional roles created in
Barrow under this government.
HMS Agamemnon has been delivered as part of a national endeavour
by the MOD's DNE, the partnership organisations that operate,
maintain, renew and sustain the UK's nuclear deterrent. The DNE
supports over 47,000 jobs across the UK, including thousands of
highly-skilled roles involved in submarine production.
Marking entry into the Royal Navy, HMS Agamemnon was formally
commissioned by His Majesty the King in a ceremony on 22
September 2025. She is the sixth Navy vessel to bear the
name.
The seventh and final submarine in the class, Achilles, is at an
advanced stage of construction in Barrow. The Astute Class will
be succeeded by up to 12 new SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered attack
submarines from the late 2030s, with steel due to be cut for the
first-in-class in Barrow next year, continuing the town's role at
the heart of AUKUS delivery.
