ROYAL NAVY
The Royal Navy’s latest submarine was commissioned at a highprofile ceremony at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow on 31 August. HMS Anson is the fifth of seven Astute class nuclear-powered fleet submarines. The vessel cost £1.3 billion and has taken more than 11 years to build. She will become fully operational next year following completion of sea trials out of her homeport at Faslane.
At the ceremony, which was attended by the Prime Minister and both the UK and Australian Defence Secretaries, it was announced that Royal Australian Navy crews will train on RN submarines, as part of the AUKUS initiative. The UK and US have already welcomed Australian submariners on specialised nuclear training courses, ahead of going to sea. Australia is set to reveal details of its future SSN in March 2023.