Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 7:19:02-7:21:16

Astute's hunter-killer role and the absence of VLS

Astute and Seawolf are compared as submarines with a strong hunter-killer emphasis, while future AUKUS priorities remain speculative.

Astute Class SubmarinesMagazine CapacitySeawolf Class SubmarinesSSN AukusSubmarinesTomahawk MissileTorpedo TubesVertical Launch Systems
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Question

Why does Astute use torpedo-tube-launched Tomahawks rather than Virginia-style VLS?

Short answer

The explanation centres on Astute's priority as a hunter-killer submarine, with land attack treated as a secondary role.

Notes

Astute's design priorities place attacks on submarines and surface ships ahead of land attack. The comparison with Seawolf concerns this emphasis on demanding underwater targets. Dr. Clarke recalls an Astute captain and a Seawolf captain each arguing that the other's boat was more lethal, and suspects both were making a case for improvement funding. That anecdote gives no firm ranking of the two classes. Expectations for the future AUKUS boat rest on the participating navies' preferences and remain speculative.