The submarines, which cost more than £1bn, take years to design and build, with the first of class taking 14 years to complete. More than a year of the top secret process at one of the most secure places in the country - the BAE Systems shipyard in Cumbria - has been captured on camera. Weighing 7,000 tons and measuring 100 metres in length, assembling the different sections is a delicate business. The Royal Navy has changed its submarine-employment strategy from the Cold War emphasis on anti-submarine warfare to the concept of "Maritime Contributions to Joint Operations." Approval for studies to define the "Batch 2 Trafalgar class" (what would become the Astute class) was given in June 1991. In July 1994 risk reduction studies were authorised in parallel with the formal bid phase of the project. On 17 March 1997, the Ministry of Defence announced that it would place a £2 billion order for three submarines and that they would be called the Astute class. On 26 March 1997 the contract was signed with GEC-Marconi for the first three boats: Astute, Ambush and Artful. These names were last given to Amphion-class submarines that entered service towards the end of World War II. GEC would build the submarines at its VSEL subsidiary (now BAE Systems Submarine Solutions). Original plans were for seven boats of the Astute class to replace five Swiftsure-class submarines (Sovereign, Superb, Sceptre, Spartan, and Splendid) and the two oldest Trafalgar-class boats (Trafalgar and Turbulent). The Swiftsure class entered service between 1973 and 1977 and were entirely decommissioned by 2010, when only the first of the Astute class was coming into service. Trafalgar was decommissioned in December 2009, to be followed by Turbulent in 2011. An estimated 5,900 people are employed directly as a result of the project; 3,500 BAE Systems staff at Barrow and 2,400 other people around the UK. As of August 2006 BAE Systems was negotiating for a contract to build another four Astute-class submarines (hulls four to seven). The fourth boat was ordered on 21 May 2007, to be called Audacious, and the names of the other hulls have been agreed as Agamemnon, Anson, and Ajax. On 15 September 2011 it was announced that hull 5 would now be named Anson. Upon the beginning of sea trials of Astute in November 2009, it was reported that long-lead items for hulls five and six have been ordered, including their nuclear reactor cores, and that the stated intention of the MoD was for a total of seven Astute-class submarines. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. All copyrighted materials contained herein belong to their respective copyright holders. Remember to LIKE and FOLLOW me on my social media websites: ■ Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/tubby_vermin ■ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TubbyTubeTV ■ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tubby.vermin ■ Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105392782185391003253/posts?hl=en_US Also Check out my Other TubbyTube Channels: ■ TubbyTube TV: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCEE5WHFAeSsDcjuq6Xkgow ■ TubbyTube Gaming: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgX5PFiwAtpeRgSuVTdFSBw ■ TubbyTube Gaming Reviews: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-5Gg7DVtrnGnNL2YpDKX2A ■ TubbyTube Movie Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiX48ZY2b2vN-BWo2B_574A ■ TubbyTube Music: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ7uhQE3j8Tyky-biaXG1JQ Game Discounts & TubbyTube Branded Clothing: ■ GameFanShop: http://www.gamefanshop.com/partner-TubbyTubeGaming/ ■ Spreadshirt: http://tubbytubeclothing.spreadshirt.co.uk/ ■ Donations Welcomed & Appreciated: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted;_button_id=B2JB4WZDNJV9U paulhargreaves1980

• published: 15 Jan 2014
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