Future Attack SubMarine (FASM)
Maritime Underwater Future Capability (MUFC)
Until recently known as the Future Attack Submarine, the project was renamed the Maritime Underwater Future Capability in early 2001. Instead of considering what submarine will fill the gap after Astute, the Royal Navy is going back to first principles of defining required capabilities. A suite of UUVs [unmanned underwater vehicles] will provide a considerable portion of capability needs. Manned submarines are expected to be used for command and transport roles rather than fighting sea battles. These include robot drones to detect and destroy mines; unmanned intelligence-gathering underwater vehicles; and remote-controlled underwater missile and torpedo platforms. The weapons could be dropped into operations by aircraft or warships.
This is a program to fill the capability need when the then remaining Trafalgar class submarines are decommissioned in around 2016/7. The current planning assumption is that the final solution will be a nuclear powered submarine, hence the programme title. The expectation is that ASTUTE class submarines, together with FASM, will constitute the ongoing nuclear powered Submarine flotilla of 10 boats. Its role is to provide a versatile and affordable, sustained forward power projection and battlespace dominance capability that delivers a disproportionate effect and preserves mission security, by virtue of stealth, through life across a wide spectrum of defence missions.
FASM is generally anticipated to be nuclear powered, though some options under consideration are conventionally powered. One such option is Air Independent Propulsion (AIP). It is likely that the Future Attack Submarine (FASM) will be armed with cruise missiles. However, unlike the Swiftsure, Trafalgar and Astute Classes, which launch these through torpedo tubes, the Future Attack Submarine will probably launch them vertically.
With increasing doubts over the FASM (MUFC) project, there is a significant possibility of additional Astutes being ordered to replace the remaining Trafalgar boats. Some consideration might be given in these later build boats to add 16 VLS tubes for cruise missiles [TacTom or Harpoon Block II].
