'Awesome Aggie' heading for sea trials ahead of active service from HMNB Clyde
HMS Agamemnon is to undergo a period of sea trials before joining the fleet at HMNB Clyde for active service.
Constructed at Barrow's BAE Systems shipyard, 'Awesome Aggie' is the sixth Astute-class submarine – the largest, most advanced and powerful attack submarine ever operated by the Royal Navy.
Weighing 7,400 tonnes, reaching 97 metres long and powered by a nuclear reactor, she will not need to refuel for the duration of her service life.
The submarine's high-tech capabilities include stealthy precision strike, anti-submarine warfare, and intelligence gathering.
HMS Agamemnon will be armed with heavyweight Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk IV land attack missiles, able to strike targets at a range of more than 1,000 miles.
Royal Navy First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, said HMS Agamemnon will play a "central role" in keeping the UK safe and contributing to Nato's collective defence.
Her completion builds on commitments to continuous submarine production that were made in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review and reinforced in the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) earlier this year.
The DIP is backed by £298bn of government spending over the next four years, including £47bn for investment in British submarine build programmes, which also covers maintenance and infrastructure.
Part of that spend is intended to enable the production of a submarine every 18 months to support the SSN-AUKUS programme.
Marking entry into the Royal Navy, HMS Agamemnon was formally commissioned by the King in a ceremony on 22 September 2025.
She is the sixth Navy vessel to bear the name.
The seventh and final submarine in the class, Achilles, is at an advanced stage of construction in Barrow with projected for completion by early 2029.
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