Artful, the third of the Astute class of nuclear attack submarines, has been launched and is expected to be commissioned in 2015. The previous two submarines, Astute and Ambush, were commissioned in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
The Royal Navy will have a total of seven Astute class submarines. The remaining four, Audacious, Anson, Agamemnon and Ajax, are expected to be commissioned between 2018 and 2024.
The Astute class submarines will join the Trafalgar class submarines, seven of which were commissioned between 1983 and 1991. Of these two have already been decommissioned, with one more expected this year in 2014.
