End in sight for Royal Navy attack submarine woes? | Navy Lookout

Of the RNâs six SSNs currently in commission, only one has been to sea in the last 3 months .

HMS Ambush has been alongside in Faslane for two years with HMS Artful last going to sea more than 15 months ago .

Some work has begun on HMS Audacious but she has now been in Devonport for 16 months awaiting a dry dock to become available.

HMS Anson completed sea trials and successful test-firings of both Spearfish and Tomahawk missiles at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre ( AUTEC ) in the Bahamas .

Conversely, when boats become available, they can end up doing very long patrols with all the issues of extended separation from friends and family this involves. The encouraging news is that the RN says Astute class availability will improve in Q4 of 2024 . At least one submarine will be allocated to the CSG25 deployment next year and the official line remains that an Astute -class boat will be based in Perth , Â Western Australia from 2027 as part of the AUKUS agreement. For the security of the UK and its allies, the return of vigorous Royal Navy submarine activity cannot come fast enough..