Photos inside new Royal Navy submarine HMS Artful nearing completion

Some great images from inside HMS Artful by photographer Phil Noble.

A bank of computer screens are seen in the control room onboard HMS Artful one of the Royal Navy’s Astute class submarines as it approaches completion at the company’s Barrow shipyard. Corbis, 2014.

Crew living quarters are seen onboard HMS Artful, one of the Royal Navy’s Astute class submarines as it approaches completion at the company’s Barrow shipyard. Corbis 2014.

Crew bunks are seen onboard HMS Artful, one of the Royal Navy’s Astute class submarines as it approaches completion at the company’s Barrow shipyard. Corbis 2014.

Crew toilets are seen onboard HMS Artful, one of the Royal Navy’s Astute class submarines as it approaches completion at the company’s Barrow shipyard. Corbis 2014.

A torpedo tube is seen onboard HMS Artful, one of the Royal Navy’s Astute class submarines as it approaches completion at the company’s Barrow shipyard. Corbis 2014.

A dummy Tomahawk missile is seen onboard HMS Artful, one of the Royal Navy’s Astute class submarines as it approaches completion at the company’s Barrow shipyard. Corbis 2014.

USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for Western Pacific deployment

131104-N-DB801-195 PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (Nov. 4, 2013) The Los Angeles-class submarine USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a deployment to the Western Pacific. City of Corpus Christi is the second ship to be named after the Texas city and is capable of conducting anti-surface and anti-submarine operations along with guided missile strike operations using conventional Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. (U.S Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Steven Khor/Released)

PHOTEX: Close enough to Syrian waters? RHIB from USS Ramage heads toward USS Barry

130905-N-XZ912-004 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Sept. 5, 2013) A rigid-hull inflatable boat from the guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) heads toward the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52). Barry, homeported in Norfolk, Va., is on deployment conducting theater and maritime security operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher B. Stoltz/Released)

VIDEO: USS Stout (DDG-55) launching Tomahawk cruise missile (2011)

US Navy moves fifth guided missile destroyer toward Syria

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55), which sailed from Naval Station Norfolk on Aug 18, will join the USS Barry (DDG-52), USS Ramage (DDG-61), USS Mahan (DDG-72) and USS Gravely (DDG-107) in the Sixth Fleet OPAREA, poised for cruise missile strikes against Syria.

Fifth U.S. Destroyer Moves Closer to Syria

The guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) departs Naval Station Norfolk for deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet on Aug. 18, 2013. US Navy Photo

The U.S. Navy is moving a fifth Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer closer to Syria, according to information from the U.S. Navy to USNI News.

USS Stout (DDG-55) departed from Naval Station Norfolk, Va. on Aug. 18 on a regular deployment and will join four other destroyers in the region.

USS Mahan (DDG-72) was slated to leave the region and be replaced by USS Ramage (DDG-61) for a ballistic missile defense (BMD) patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. Now both ships, along with USS Barry (DDG-52) and USS Gravely (DDG-107) will remain in the region.

All five destroyers are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles as well as launching land attack missiles.

In addition to the DDGs there are likely a unknown submarines capable of firing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM). Press reports have indicated at least one U.K. Royal Navy submarine in the region. U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class (SSN-688) and Virginia-class (SSN-744) are capable of firing TLAMS.

It is also unknown is any of the service’s guided missile submarines (SSGN) are in the region. The SSGNs are capable of fielding 154 TLAMs.

The U.S. preliminary assessment of an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack holds the regime of Bashar al-Assad responsible for the deaths of 1,429 people.

“The United States says it has ‘intelligence that leads us to assess that Syrian chemical weapons personnel … were preparing chemical weapons munitions prior to’ what Washington believes was a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21,” according to a Friday repot from CNN.

“ ‘In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack,’ the U.S. government said in its assessment released Friday.”

http://news.usni.org/2013/08/30/fifth-u-s-destroyer-moves-closer-syria

In the event of war: How would the US attack Syria?

Photo gallery: USS Barry (DDG 52) launching Tomahawk cruise missiles

110329-N-3396H-001 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (March 29, 2011) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk cruise missile to support Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Monika Hess/Released)

110329-N-XO436-010 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (March 29, 2011) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk cruise missile to support Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

110319-N-7293M-003 MEDITERANEAN SEA (March 19, 2011) Seen through night-vision lenses aboard amphibious transport dock USS Ponce (LPD 15), the guided missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) fires Tomahawk cruise missiles in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. This was one of approximately 110 cruise missiles fired from U.S. and British ships and submarines that targeted about 20 radar and anti-aircraft sites along Libya’s Mediterranean coast. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathanael Miller/Released)

110319-N-XO436-138 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (March. 19, 2011) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn on March 19, 2011. This was one of approximately 110 cruise missiles fired from U.S. and British ships and submarines that targeted about 20 radar and anti-aircraft sites along Libya’s Mediterranean coast. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

110319-N-XO436-134 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (March. 19, 2011) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. This was one of approximately 110 cruise missiles fired from U.S. and British ships and submarines that targeted about 20 radar and anti-aircraft sites along Libya’s Mediterranean coast. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

US Navy moves ships within striking rage of Syria

The US Navy has moved four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers within striking distance of Syria. The Mahan, Gravely, Barry and Ramage are equipped with the Mk 41 VLS that can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Block IV TLAM-E has a range of 900 nautical miles (1000 statute miles, 1600 km) and can strike Syrian military targets with precision.

US prepares to carry out military action against Syria

The US Navy has positioned its four destroyers near Syria, in preparation of carrying out military action against the war-torn country, according to a defence official.

The move follows the massive chemical attack by the Syria Government on rebels and civilians near Damascus, which killed hundreds of people.

The Washington Times has quoted an official as saying that the vessels USS Mahan, USS Gravely, USS Barry and USS Ramage, each equipped with up to 90 Tomahawk cruise missiles, are positioned in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier, US President Barack Obama had met top national security advisors and ordered the intelligence community to gather facts and evidence to determine what occurred in Syria.

Meanwhile, the Syria Government has allowed the United Nations chemical weapons experts to examine the recent suspected chemical weapon attack allegations near Damascus, the capital of Syria.

The Syrian state news agency SANA quoted the country’s Information Minister Omran Zoabi as saying, to Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen TV, that “US military intervention will create a very serious fallout and a ball of fire that will inflame the Middle East.”

www.naval-technology.com/news/newsus-prepares-to-carry-out-military-action-against-syria

Royal Navy Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile

The Tomahawk IV – known in the Royal Navy as TLAM (Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile) – allows submarines to strike at ground targets hundreds of miles inland with pinpoint accuracy.

The Tomahawk missile allows the Navy’s submarines to strike at targets on land with pinpoint accuracy.

The missile has been in use with the Submarine Service since the late 1990s and has been used in anger in the Kosovo conflict and, more recently, in the campaigns against the Taleban and Saddam Hussein, chiefly against important targets which otherwise might seem relatively invulnerable. It is fired from a boat’s torpedo tubes. Once it reaches the surface, a booster rocket ignites to propel the missile skywards. Tomahawk then heads for its target at around 550mph, delivering a 1,000lb explosive warhead.

Royal Navy Attack submarine HMS Astute fires a Tomahawk cruise missile during a testing mission. Crown copyright.

Tomahawk IV is the latest version of the missile. It has a longer range than its predecessors (well in excess of 1,000 miles), can be directed at a new target in mid-flight, and can also beam back images of the battlefield to its mother submarine.

It is fitted to all Trafalgar and Astute-class submarines.

Megastructures: USS Virginia (2005)