British submarine automation between Japanese and American models

Will the Royal Navy follow Japan toward heavily automated submarines because professional manpower is scarce?

It already sits between the Japanese and American models and may reduce crews further, but probably not as far as Japan.

Crew size is a strategic design choice for navies with limited personnel. Astute's complement in the nineties contrasts with roughly 135 aboard a Virginia-class submarine. Britain may automate further without adopting the smallest possible crew. That middle model is presented as a more plausible basis for Australian and Canadian nuclear submarines than the larger American establishment.