Latest news with #HMSAnson
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Record
Royal Navy's £1.3bn 'hunter-killer' submarine ready after secret tests at US Navy's 'Area 51'
HMS Anson is the fifth and most advanced in the Royal Navy's Astute-class of nuclear-powered submarines, which can circumnavigate the globe completely submerged beneath the waves The Royal Navy is preparing to deploy its £1.3billion 'hunter-killer' submarine, the HMS Anson, following weapons tests in the Atlantic and a visit to the US's maritime equivalent of 'Area 51'. The HMS Anson is the latest addition to the Navy's Astute-class of nuclear-powered vessels, which are capable of circumnavigating the globe completely submerged, making it the most advanced yet. This formidable vessel can launch long-range Tomahawk missiles to strike land targets as well as Spearfish torpedoes to combat enemy submarines, making the Astute-class the largest in the underwater fleet. HMS Anson has undergone trials off the east coast of the United States and in the Caribbean Sea, testing these capabilities alongside her state-of-the-art systems. Anson joins her operational sisters: Astute, Ambush, Artful and Audacious in this impressive class, reports the Express. Before being officially deployed on military operations, the sub will undergo further rigorous tests. Since leaving its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in February 2024, Anson has patrolled the UK coastline before sailing further north of Scotland to test her weapons systems. The Royal Navy describes these drills as consisting of "successful firings of both Spearfish and Tomahawk test missiles" before matters "intensified into the Atlantic as Anson headed to the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) in the waters around the Bahamas." AUTEC, nestled beside the Tongue of the Ocean's natural marvel—a vast deep-water basin hewn from coral reef—attracts top military tech experts from around the globe. The facility has earned a reputation as the US Navy's 'Area 51' due to the classified nature of its operations, and it even featured on History Channel's TV show UFO Hunters, where it was touted as a secret alien underwater base. In truth, the base spans 20 miles in width, stretches 150 miles in length, plunges up to 6,000ft deep in certain areas, and is packed with sophisticated recording gear to collect data on submarines, torpedoes, and sonar. While the precise outcomes of Anson's trials remain under wraps, the submarine must perform exceptionally well to confirm her capability to track enemy subs undetected. However, it wasn't all about the grind for her crew. "The opportunity for the majority of the Ship's Company to get to spend a few days on Andros was fantastic," shared one submariner, recounting the experience. He added, "This afforded us a few days of rest from the sea trials we were conducting and allowed us to spend time on the beach in the sun, relaxing and playing volleyball with base personnel."
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Historic cork life jacket wins Cornish award
A life jacket designed in the 1800s after a tragedy at sea has won a prize as the best object at a Cornish awards year's Cornwall Heritage Awards were held in Liskeard on Monday, with museums, galleries and historic organisations vying for prizes across several Council said more than 1,600 people voted in the Object of the Year category and the winner was a cork life jacket created by Henry Trengrouse from the Museum of Cornish Life in beat off other entries including a bus, an ornament crafted from Cornish tin and a reel which helped prevent people from drowning across Devon and Cornwall. Mr Trengrouse designed the cork life jacket after he witnessed the wrecking of HMS Anson and loss of more than 100 lives at Loe Bar, near Porthleven and Helston, in used his skills as a cabinet maker to design the equipment which would help to save lives in the future. 'Protect our heritage' Other winners on the night included the Penlee House Gallery, which won the larger venues' Exhibition of the Year prize for Flora: 150 Years of Environmental and District Museum won the smaller venues' category of the same award with its Threads: Captivating Memories Woven in same museum also won the smaller venues' Environmental Trevethan, principal lead for culture and creative industries at Cornwall Council, said: "Many of our museums, galleries and historic sites rely on volunteers to share the stories of our past."I'd like to thank all the individuals who give their time to ensure exhibitions and artefacts can remain on show for everyone to enjoy which helps preserve and protect our heritage for future generations."
