Though the United Kingdom has remained on the sidelines of Operation Epic Fury, HMS Anson could launch missiles at Iran if the conflict were to escalate.

The UK’s Royal Navy doesn’t generally announce the location of its nuclear-powered submarines, but this week, it confirmed that HMS Anson (S123), the fifth of its Astute-class attack boats, had arrived in the Arabian Sea. The UK had previously not committed to sending any naval assets to the region, but then confirmed it would consider deploying one of its aircraft carriers.

President Donald Trump dismissed such notions, stating that the carriers and other warships weren’t needed as the war against Iran had already been won. However, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, the British military opted to deploy the submarine to the region.

HMS Anson: From the Land Down Under to the Middle East

HMS Anson, named for the 18th-century British Admiral George Anson, departed her home port of Faslane, Scotland, on January 10 and made a brief port-of-call visit to Gibraltar before traveling to join the Submarine Rotational Force-West at the HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia.

The Royal Navy’s Astute-class boats are the largest submarines to be operated by the UK’s senior service, and are considered to be among the most capable attack submarines in service today, able to strike targets deep in Iranian territory. Each carries long-range Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles, which are capable of hitting a target to within a few meters at a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 km), and Spearfish torpedoes, for use against enemy submarines.

“The presence of HMS Anson now gives the UK the capability to launch precision strikes if the conflict escalates further,” Interesting Engineering wrote, adding that its current location “allows it to cover critical areas within range of its onboard weapons systems.”

Beyond serving as attack submarines, the Astute-class boats can also conduct intelligence gathering and surveillance.

“Anson will be quietly lurking. The Prime Minister and Commander Maritime Operations will be told where she is,” a source within the British military told GB News.

About the Astute-Class Nuclear Submarine (SSN)

• Year Introduced: 2010
• Number Built: 6 (7 planned, 1 still under construction)
• Length: 97 m (318 ft)
• Beam (Width): 11.3 m (37 ft)
• Displacement: ~7,400 tonnes surfaced, ~7,800 tonnes submerged
• Propulsion: Rolls-Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor (Core H)
• Speed: 30+ knots (34.5 mph, 61 km/h)
• Range: Unlimited (except by provisions)
• Armament: Astute Combat Management System (ACMS); six 21-inch torpedo tubes; can carry up to 38 Spearfish torpedoes or Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAM Block IV/V)
• Crew: ~98 (reduced by automation)

BAE Systems designed the fast-attack submarines to replace the aging Trafalgar-class submarine, which first entered service in the mid-1980s. The final Trafalgar-class sub, HMS Triumph, was decommissioned in 2025.

Along with her operational sister subs—HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, and HMS Audacious—HMS Anson is powered by a Rolls-Royce PWR2 (Core H) reactor and fitted with a pump-jet propulsor. The same reactor was developed for the Royal Navy’s Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines. The reactor, which has a 25-year lifespan, provides the submarine with theoretically unlimited endurance, and is also used to recycle air and water. Because of this, the boats can circumnavigate the globe submerged, producing their own oxygen and drinking water—limited only by the amount of food they can carry.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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