HMS ''Artful'' is the third nuclear-powered
fleet submarine
A fleet submarine is a submarine with the speed, range, and endurance to operate as part of a navy's battle fleet. Examples of fleet submarines are the British First World War era K class and the American World War II era ''Gato'' class.
The ...
of the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. She is the second submarine of the Royal Navy to bear this name. ''Artful'' was ordered from
GEC's Marconi Marine
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquess of Marconi ( ; ; 25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937) was an Italian electrical engineer, inventor, and politician known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system. This l ...
(now
BAE Systems Submarine Solutions
BAE Systems Submarines,BAE Systems Submarine Solutions was split out from BAE Systems Marine and operated as such until January 2012. It was named BAE Systems Maritime - Submarines until 2017 before it became BAE Systems Submarines. is a whol ...
) on 17 March 1997, and was constructed at
Barrow in Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is a port town and civil parish (as just "Barrow") in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the county of Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borou ...
. She was
named on 20 September 2013, was rolled out of the shipyard construction hall on 16 May 2014, and was due to start sea trials in early 2015. ''Artful'' made her first successful basin dive in October 2014, and sailed on 13 August 2015 for sea trials. ''Artful'' was handed over the Royal Navy on 14 December 2015, and commissioned on 18 March 2016.
Design
Propulsion
''Artful''s nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the boat's 25-year service. Since the submarine can purify water and air, she will be able to circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. The main limit is that the submarine will only be able to carry three months' supply of food for 98 officers and
ratings.
Armament
''Artful'' has provision for up-to 38 weapons in six
torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes.
There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s.
The submarine is capable of using
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Native Americans in the United States, Indian peoples and nations of North America, traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft.
Etymology
The name comes from Powhatan langu ...
Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of and
Spearfish
Spearfish may refer to:
Places
* Spearfish, South Dakota, United States
* North Spearfish, South Dakota, United States
* Spearfish Formation, a geologic formation in the United States
Biology
* ''Tetrapturus'', a genus of marlin with shorter ...
heavyweight torpedoes.
Common Combat System
''Artful'' is the first ''Astute''-class submarine to utilise the Common Combat System, which will be fitted on every ''Astute'', ''
Vanguard
The vanguard (sometimes abbreviated to van and also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.
...
'' and
''Dreadnought''-class submarine. The Common Combat System was originally meant to be first tested on the fourth ''Astute'' boat, , but the system was completed ahead of time.
Operational history
In May 2021, ''Artful'' joined
UK Carrier Strike Group 21
The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) was a British-led naval force that was deployed on Operation Fortis from May to December 2021. The Carrier Strike Group is seen as the beginning of the British Government's tilt towards the Indo-P ...
on its seven-and-a-half month-long maiden operational deployment to the
Far East
The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...
.
As of mid-2024, ''Artful'' had been in a period of prolonged inactivity, having last been to sea in early 2023.
References
External links
Royal Navy HMS ''Artful''(royalnavy.mod.uk)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artful (S121)
Astute-class submarines
Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness
2014 ships
Submarines of the United Kingdom