Scene on the Sound

Nuclear sub in the Sound

The main source of interest in the Sound this week has been the arrival of an Astute-class nuclear submarine (SSN). The Royal Navy has six Astutes in commission, with one more on order. However, these boats have been dogged by maintenance and availability issues since the first entered service and HMS Anson is the only one fully operational.

So, despite the usual ‘anonymity’ of all submarine movements, there is little doubt that the SSN entering Devonport on Tuesday this week was Anson, which left Faslane, near Glasgow, on 10th January and was expected to be away for many months.

She arrived in HMAS Stirling, the RAN base south of Perth in Western Australia, on February 22. The plan was that she would operate with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) for a few months, with RAN Officers onboard, in the waters around Australia. This deployment was a part of the AUKUS (Australia, UK & USA) agreement. A 50-year plan under which the RN and RAN will build and operate up to 17 SSNs (12 RN and 5 RAN) of the same class.

However ….. real world events intervened and after a brief period in Australian waters, HMS Anson was re-deployed. Why, and where to, were as usual not disclosed, but it is reasonable to assume that she was sent to the Arabian Sea, south of the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday last (24th May), HMS Anson secured to D Buoy in the Sound and on Tuesday afternoon, she entered Devonport. It is not known how long she’ll be here, or indeed, why she’s here at all, when her base port is Faslane. My guess would be that she’s here for a maintenance period after 4 months of non-stop running.

*Forth Constructor*, with a passing Gig and behind her the PS *Waverley* ‘escorted’ by the Plymouth lifeboat. (Photo: The Captain)

Another less common visitor has been the buoy-laying vessel Forth Constructor. Last Saturday, she spent most of the day lifting the large green buoy just off the West Hoe.

Last night (Thursday) the Royal Norwegian Navy’s corvette HNoMS Storm arrived – almost certainly for a period of training with FOST. Storm is a Skjold-class corvette capable of 60kts (about 75mph) in a calm sea. As can be seen from her shape, she is not only fast, but also stealthy – having very low radar signature.

She has a 76mm gun of the focsle and eight of the naval strike missiles (NSM) in the hull. This is the same, very capable, anti-ship and land-attack missile that has recently been bought by six other NATO navies, including the RN. The NSM has a range of up to 300 miles and will be fitted to the present generation of Frigates and Destroyers the Type 23s and Type 45s). In RN service it will replace the US-built Harpoon.