The Royal Navy's newest and most advanced nuclear submarine, 'Astute', is taking her first dive for an underwater test of her systems.
The 'Trim and Basin Dive' is taking place in Devonshire Dock, Barrow and involves submerging 'Astute' in a dive hole large enough for the 100 metre-long, 7,400 tonne boat. The dive is the first time that the submarine has been fully submerged, and provides the opportunity to test the submarine's underwater stability and systems.
Tests include trials of various boat systems and equipment including the mechanism that releases an emergency buoy, the emergency escape tower, and various hydraulics and electrical systems. Lord Drayson, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said this is an important step on the road to preparing 'Astute' for service. These submarines are hugely impressive vessels, and will provide the Royal Navy with a world class capability. After completing the dive, 'Astute' will be docked and taken back into Devonshire Dock Hall. The next stage will be to calculate her stability, weight and buoyancy.
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