The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a £1,5 billion contract with BAE Systems to build a seventh and final Astute Class submarine for the Royal Navy. The submarine will be called Agincourt and will become the sixth vessel in the Royal Navy to be named after the Battle of Agincourt of 1415.
The first three submarines in the Astute class, HMS Astute, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful, are already in service with the Royal Navy. The fourth, fifth and sixth submarines are under various stages of construction. At 97m long and displacing more than 7,400 tonnes, they are the largest and most powerful nuclear-powered attack submarines ever built for the Royal Navy, the company said.
BAE Systems has also been awarded a £900 million for the next phase of the Dreadnought submarine programme. Construction on the first of four new Dreadnought submarines started in October 2016 and this latest funding will support ongoing design and build activities, procurement of materials and investment in new and existing facilities for a further 12 months.
