"Further reductions in the size of the UK Royal Navy's (RN) nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) force could jeopardise the service's ability to meet current and likely future requirements warns a Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) report.

According to Gavin Ireland the report's author, Astute's launch and the recent debate on the renewal of Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent "has focused public and political attention on the future of the UK Submarine Industrial Base." He added that the decision to proceed with a successor to the RN's current Vanguard-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine "was also important for the RN's continued operation of nuclear-powered attack submarines as the build programmes for SSN's and nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN's) are mutually interdependent."

NB The Astute design has six torpedo tubes and space for up to 38 weapons, comprising a mix of Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.