THE most dangerous submarine in the world has the world’s most sophisticated warship right in her sights – but luckily for all involved they are both on the same side.
Perhaps uniquely, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless and the new attack submarine HMS Astute found themselves tied up at berths six and seven at HM Naval Base Clyde last week.
Both are gearing up for their own separate sea trials in preparation for entry into full service with the Royal Navy and both overlapped in visits to the Faslane naval base by just hours.
Astute is the largest attack submarine ever ordered by the navy and she will spend her 25 year lifespan with Faslane as her home port. Her new Core H reactor never needs to be refuelled and her much increased firepower makes her one of the UK’s most potent means of maritime defence.
HMS Dauntless is the second of her class of Type 45, the largest and most powerful destroyers ever ordered by the Royal Navy and the largest ships ordered for UK defence (aircraft carriers excluded) since the Second World War.
Dauntless is the most advanced warship in the world – all electric powered, its sophisticated anti-aircraft systems can track and destroy a cricket ball travelling at three times the speed of sound.
A base spokesman said: “For naval enthusiasts, this would have been the experience of a lifetime – to see an Astute class submarine and a Type 45 destroyer side by side is surely a one-off. If this wasn’t a naval base we could have sold tickets.
“And what a combination – you certainly wouldn’t want to meet these two on a dark night. Their combined firepower is too awesome to contemplate and they represent the very cutting edge of British naval technology.”
source inverclydenow
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