Royal Navy’s Artful test fires its first torpedo

The Royal Navy’s newest submarine, Artful, has test fired its first torpedo using a £50 million UK made advanced Combat System.

The test procedure utilised the BAE Systems designed Common Combat System (CCS) which functions as the digital ‘brain’ of the boat. The CCS was completed ahead of time so it was ready for the third submarine, rather than the fourth.

Artful uses the latest technology to collect and process vast amounts of data from sensors such as sonar to provide vital information to help inform important Command decisions. The technology was developed through the Astute Build Programme and was managed through a £50 million contract with BAE Systems.

CCS hosts a sonar processing capability developed by Thales UK, Dell, poole-based systems designers Aish Technologies and cloud computing company VMWare.

Philip Dunne, minister for Defence Procurement, said: “This command and control system, designed as part of an innovative partnership between Defence and UK industry, will allow British submarines to adapt more quickly to changing mission requirements, making operations even safer and more efficient.

“It is a next generation system, both highly capable and cost-effective, which can be installed right across the Royal Navy’s submarine fleets, thereby guaranteeing the best capability for the Royal Navy and the best value for money for the taxpayer. It is also yet another example of how our £178 billion investment in equipment is giving our Armed Forces the best possible kit.”