Future submarines: Royal Navy's Dreadnought and US Navy's Columbia
These new subs should be entering service in the 2030s.
The new Dreadnought class, built by BAE Systems, is expected to replace the existing Vanguard class within the Royal Navy. It will be larger than the previous class, with a length of around 153.6m and a total displacement of 17,200t. It will use the Rolls-Royce PWR3 nuclear reactor, a US design that is said to be simpler and safer than the PWR2 nuclear reactor on the Vanguard class, while also having a longer lifespan and lower maintenance requirements.
The Dreadnought class’s armament includes four 21in torpedo tubes to fire BAE’s Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes, and 12 ballistic missile tubes that act as the nuclear deterrent and fire up to 12 Lockheed Trident II D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), each carrying eight warheads.One of the key features of the Columbia class is its electric drive propulsion system, which is different to the mechanical drive system used by other navies. Above all, electric drive is expected to be quieter and save running costs. However, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) reported in 2019 that the US Navy has experienced problems with its electric drive system, which required extensive repair and led to a nine-month delay.
Twelve future submarines of the Columbia class are planned for construction with the first beginning in 2021. General Dynamics Electric Boat won the contract to build the new submarines in 2016, and will receive help and expertise from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding.
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Like the Dreadnought class, the Columbia class will be armed with 16 Trident II D-5 ballistic missiles. The US Navy said that the two classes will share a common missile compartment design for interoperability.