HMS Dreadnought (Dreadnought-class submarine)
History | |
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Name | HMS Dreadnought |
Builder | BAE Systems, Barrow-in-Furness, England |
Laid down | 6 October 2016 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Dreadnought-class submarine |
Displacement | 17,200 t (16,900 long tons; 19,000 short tons) |
Length | 153.6 metres (504 ft) |
Beam | 12.8 m (42 ft 0 in) |
Draught | 12 m (39 ft 4 in) |
Propulsion | Rolls-Royce PWR3 nuclear reactor, turbo-electric drive, pump-jet |
Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced; 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) submerged |
Complement | 130 |
Armament |
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HMS Dreadnought is a Royal Navy nuclear-powered Trident ballistic missile-armed submarine that is currently under construction.[1] The lead boat of her class, she is being built in Barrow-in-Furness. On completion she will become the UK's largest ever submarine.[2]
Construction
[edit]The submarine was approved for order by the UK Parliament in July 2016.[3] Construction of Dreadnought began on 6 October 2016.[2][3] In December 2021 it was announced that the submarine will feature Lockheed Martin navigation subsystems.[4] Other systems will include a new Thales Sonar 2076 system.[3] Much of the steel for the construction has been sourced from non-domestic sources.[5] In March 2021, it was announced that construction of the submarine had been delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] In May 2022, it was announced that construction had entered 'phase three' and that on completion, the submarine would leave the shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness to begin sea trials.[7]
On 14 December 2022, the pressure hull of the submarine was completed.[8] On 29 December 2022, the 12 ballistic missile tubes of Dreadnought, along with 36 tubes for the others in her class arrived in the UK from the US.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ Cahill, Helen (9 May 2022). "Dreadnought Submarine". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ a b Royal Navy (6 October 2016). "Building begins on new nuclear submarines". Royal Navy. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Davies, Rob (31 March 2021). "Lack of British steel in Dreadnought nuclear subs underlines procurement failure". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Sabbagh, Dan; Defence, Dan Sabbagh (4 February 2021). "Trident nuclear submarine replacement delayed by another year". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Barrow: Contracts of £2bn to build nuclear submarines". BBC News. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "New British nuclear missile submarine reaches milestone". UK Defence Journal. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "48 missile tubes for Dreadnought class submarines leave US for UK". Navy Recognition. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.