#250
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por P44 » Seg Nov 05, 2007 11:53 am
Astute Submarine Takes First Underwater Tests
(Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 1, 2007)
The Royal Navy's newest and most advanced nuclear submarine, ASTUTE, is taking her first dive for an underwater test of her systems.
The 'Trim and Basin Dive' is taking place in Devonshire Dock, Barrow, over two days, and involves submerging ASTUTE in a dive hole large enough for the 100M-long, 7400 tonne boat. The dive is the first time that the submarine has been fully submerged, and provides the opportunity to test the submarine's underwater stability and systems.
25 of her crew are on board alongside BAE Systems technicians to carry out the tests. Tests include trials of various boat systems and equipment including the mechanism that releases an emergency buoy, the emergency escape tower, and various hydraulics and electrical systems.
Lord Drayson, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said:
"This is an important step on the road to preparing ASTUTE for service. These submarines are hugely impressive vessels, and will provide the Royal Navy with a world class capability."
After completing the dive, ASTUTE will be docked and taken back into Devonshire Dock Hall. The next stage will be to calculate her stability, weight and buoyancy.
BACKGROUND NOTES:
1. The Trim and Basin dive takes place on 30 and 31 October.
2. ASTUTE is the first nuclear submarine to be launched in the UK for almost a decade. She has been built in the UK using the latest and most advanced naval engineering techniques. Construction has been described as more complex than that of the space shuttle.
3. ASTUTE was named on 8 June by HRH Duchess of Cornwall at the roll-out ceremony at BAE Systems' shipyard in Barrow, Cumbria.
4. ASTUTE will never need to be refuelled: her advanced on-board life support systems mean she can circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface.
5. ASTUTE is the first vessel of four in the Astute class currently under build and commissioning at Barrow. The other three are AMBUSH, ARTFUL and AUDACIOUS. (ends)
Successful First Dive for Astute
(Source: BAE Systems; issued Oct. 31, 2007)
BARRROW, UK --- A major element of the United Kingdom’s future defence and security capability has successfully completed a critical milestone in its development programme. The first of class Astute, the most advanced and capable class of submarines ever built for the Royal Navy, has dived beneath the waves for the first time, at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow, North West England.
Astute is crammed with some of the world’s most sophisticated technologies, including advanced nuclear reactor, sonar, optical mast, combat management and weapons systems. But paradoxically, the measurement of its performance during this maiden dive was assessed using a tool employed by generations of submarine builders and naval architects – a simple plumb line, similar to that used by the ancient Egyptians while building the pyramids.
The line, suspended on up to eight metres of wire running through three decks, has its large pendulum ‘bob’ immersed in a bath of oil to dampen its swing. As the boat is rolled from port to starboard, accurate measurements are taken to prove that the submarine is performing according to its design specifications.
“The workforce at Barrow continues to demonstrate that although the production of nuclear powered submarines requires a specialist subset of skills, in line with the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy, we have the ability to deliver the intellectual resource and technologies required,” states Murray Easton, managing director BAE Systems Submarine Solutions.
“Astute class submarines will play a key role in the defence of the United Kingdom for decades to come. The boats demonstrate a step change in capability when compared to those they will replace.”
During two days of tests, involving a joint BAE Systems and Royal Navy crew of 60, the dive characteristics of Astute will be tested, along with safety critical systems including escape hatches, hydraulics and electrics.
On completion of the first dive tests, Astute will return to dry land and re-enter the huge Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow, for further engineering and commissioning work. She is due to be handed over to the Royal Navy next autumn and enter service in 2009.
Once deployed, Astute is designed not to require refuelling throughout her full service life – in excess of 25 years – and has the ability to patrol for 90 days while remaining undetected, thousands of miles from home and hundreds of metres underwater.
BAE Systems, as the UK’s only manufacturer of submarines, is responsible for the design, build and initial in-service support of the four 7,400 tonne Astute class boats currently under various stages of construction and commissioning at its Barrow facility.
BAE Systems is the premier global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 96,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15 billion (US $27 billion) in 2006 on a pro forma basis, assuming BAE Systems had owned Armor Holdings Inc for the whole of 2006.
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