For those of you who are not yet regular readers of Warships IFR magazine, the Astute Class are today’s beautiful nuclear-powered attack submarines.

HMS Astute joined the Royal Navy in 2009 and became operational in 2010.  Ambush, Artful and Audaciuos are building (written in April 2011), with three more of this class promised – but the SDSR cuts may yet result in further reductions in numbers.