When the Astute Class enters full service, the boats will be the most technologically advanced hunter-killer submarines ever to be built for the Royal Navy.

She will arrive more stealthily, she will be able to monitor the enemy from greater range, and engage targets both at sea and on land with more conventional firepower than possible in earlier platforms. She has achieved these improvements by both evolving certain capabilities from submarines currently at sea in the UK Submarine Fleet, and also by making step changes in other areas of equipment design. Although conceived almost a decade ago, the design team has kept pace with weapon and sensor development, allowing Astute to put to sea with some of the most modern technology available worldwide.