--- title: "The Royal Navy’s stealth sub can stay submerged for 25 years" date: "2021-11-28" modified: "2021-11-28" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/royal-navys-stealth-sub/" categories: - "Military News" - "Ships" - "Tactical" - "Technology" --- # The Royal Navy’s stealth sub can stay submerged for 25 years ![]() The UK's submarine fleet conducts some of the most secret missions in the Royal Navy. For that, it requires the quietest ships ever built – the *Astute*-class submarine. Capable of tracking enemy ships, listening in on foreign communications, tracking vessels and aircraft, delivering special operators, and more. It can even launch a volley of Tomahawk missiles while submerged. And no one would ever see it coming. --- ![]() The seven *Astute-*class subs will be the only attack subs in the Queen's fleet. The only other submersible ships will be tasked with carrying the UK's sea-based nuclear arsenal. The rest of the Royal Navy's subs will be decommissioned by the time the *Astute* and her sister ships are all in the water. Engineers at BAE were tasked with something nearly impossible: silencing a 7,400-ton nuclear-powered warship with 100 British sailors on board. They had to reverse engineer how noise would be emitted from the ship, trace them to the source, and dampen it. And since the submarine would be completely vulnerable while completing its mission, the engineers also had to protect the ship from a torpedo impact, one that would be designed to break the ship's back. And yes, the *Astute* can take a direct hit from a modern torpedo. ![]() The first four vessels, namely HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful and HMS Audacious, are already in service. Along with Anson, which launched in April 2021, the final two submarines, namely Agamemnon and Agincourt, are at various stages of construction. Other factors that keep the ships quiet are the acoustic tiles that cover the ship's exterior, the ultra-quiet rafts holding the pumps for the seawater that cools the ship's reactor, and a diffuser that keeps the ship's extra carbon dioxide from bubbling to the surface. The ship also has its magnetic signature reduced, and its wake is designed to be minimal. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()