On September 22, 2025, the Royal Navy officially commissioned HMS Agamemnon, its sixth Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, in a ceremony at Barrow-in-Furness. The event, attended by around 500 guests, was led by King Charles III, who read the commissioning warrant before visiting Barrow Town Hall to formally grant Royal Port status to the town. The same day also marked the first steel cut for HMS King George VI, the fourth Dreadnought-class submarine, highlighting the simultaneous progress of the UK’s two major submarine programs.
HMS Agamemnon is the penultimate boat in the seven-strong Astute class. Measuring 97 meters and displacing roughly 7,400 tonnes, it is powered by a Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactor designed to operate for the submarine’s entire service life without refueling, providing an endurance of about 90 days. The submarine’s weapons include Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles with a strike range of about 1,000 miles. The Royal Navy plans to integrate the new Tomahawk Block V variant, which offers improved targeting and in-flight communication. Agamemnon carries a crew of approximately 98 sailors, with additional accommodation available if required.
Astute-class submarines perform a wide range of missions including escorting the Continuous at Sea Deterrent, supporting carrier strike groups, securing undersea infrastructure, collecting intelligence, and deploying special forces. The addition of HMS Agamemnon is expected to improve fleet availability, which has been challenged by extended maintenance cycles and modernization programs.
The commissioning ceremony also underlined the importance of Barrow as the UK’s submarine construction hub. Over 13,500 jobs in the town are linked to the defence nuclear sector, with further growth projected as the Astute program winds down and Dreadnought production accelerates. HMS Agamemnon strengthens the Royal Navy’s attack submarine force at a critical time, bridging the gap until the future SSN-AUKUS submarines enter service in the late 2030s.
