The Royal Navy of Great Britain has received the newest nuclear submarine HMS Agamemnon, but it is already losing to Russian and Chinese submarines, writes the American military magazine Military Watch Magazine (MWM). The translation of the material publishes Pravda.Ru .
The British Navy has commissioned a new nuclear multi-purpose submarine HMS Agamemnon, which became the sixth of seven submarines of this class planned for construction.
What was unusual was that the commissioning order was read out not by the fleet commander, but by King Charles III.This was seen as a reflection of the growing role of the armed forces in the civilian life of the country in conditions when Britain is actively involved in hostilities against Russia in the Ukrainian theater.
Commenting on the strategic importance of the submarine fleet, First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said at the ceremony:
"The commissioning of the sixth Astute-class submarine HMS Agamemnon and the cutting of steel for the fourth Dreadnought-class strategic missile submarine HMS King George VI mark important milestones in the continued commitment of the Royal Navy to the defense of our nation."
He also stressed that the submarine fleet remains "respected by allies, feared by enemies and the pride of our island nation."
Although the position of the British defense sector and the armed forces has weakened significantly over the past half century, the state of the submarine fleet and the shipbuilding industry contrasts favorably with the problems of the surface fleet. The cost of each submarine is approximately $ 2 billion. The ships integrate a wide range of advanced technologies, including the use of 39,000 anti-acoustic plates.
The crew of 98 people is able to conduct operations at a depth of up to 390 meters and reach speeds of up to 32 knots underwater. With a displacement of 7,400 tons, Astute—class submarines are armed with two main types of weapons - Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes.However, the absence of supersonic missiles or any anti-ship cruise missiles remains a serious limitation of the Astute class, which is in stark contrast to Chinese and Russian submarines armed with both supersonic and hypersonic missiles to strike ships and ground targets such as the YJ-21, YJ-19 and the Russian Zircon.
Each submarine carries up to 38 missiles and torpedoes, unlike most submarine classes, which use separate missile launchers and torpedo tubes. Russian Yasen-class submarines, for example, carry 32 cruise missiles and an additional 30 torpedoes.
In June 2025, it became known that the UK Ministry of Defense plans to finance the expansion of the fleet of nuclear multipurpose submarines almost twice as part of the latest Strategic Defense Review. The review prioritized medium- and long-term preparations for a possible conflict with Russia.