The submarine has a diesel-electric propulsion system with air independent propulsion (AIP). It is 67.7 meters long and 8.5 meters in diameter. It can dive to 250 meters and has a range of 9,000 nautical miles at surface speed and 3,000 nautical miles while covertly submerged. It carries a crew of 9 officers and 38 sailors or trainees and special forces personnel.

1. Propulsion type Diesel-electric
with AIP
Displacement 3419 te (subm.)
3090 te (surf.)
Length 67.7 m
Diameter 8.5 m
Deep diving depth 250 m
Range 9000 nm (snort transit)
3000 nm (covert dived)
Endurance 70 days (deployed)
32 days (covert dived)
Top speed 18 knots
Compliment 9 officers, 38 sailors,
11 trainees or SF
Unit cost
(Dec. 2013)
GBP 892 million
AUD 1605 million
Stealthy
Remain dived for up to
32 days continuously
Non-magnetic structure
with anechoic tiles
Zero-emissions air
independent propulsion
Transit indiscretion ratio
of less than 20%
Deadly
4 × 21-inch torpedo tubes
(positive discharge)
16 heavyweight
torpedoes or missiles
Advanced combat system
and sonar suite
Insertion of up to 11
special forces personnel
Reliable
Low-maintenance,
low-upkeep equipment
No mixing of diesel fuel
and seawater
Optimised diesel engine
induction and exhaust
Self-rescue at DDD from
full compartment flood
Chlöe Barker, Tim Larsen and Rob Jarvis Balance in optimisation
Stealthy, Deadly, Reliable
A collaborative next-generation submarine for the United Kingdom and Australia
Designed to excel at ASW, ASuW, ISR and SF insertion when deployed at long ranges
ASHES CLASS SUBMARINE

2. Propulsion and Power
3900 kW of diesel-generation
Advanced 15.7 MW·h LiFePO4 battery
720 kW of fuel cell AIP (metal hydride)
3800 kW permanent magnet motor
Resilient zonal power distribution
Combat System
Powerful, open-architecture,
reconfigurable computing system
8 common combat consoles and
4 EW/communications consoles
2 non-penetrating optronic periscopes
Mast outfit providing ESM, EHF/SHF and
standard SATCOMM, radar, and GPS
Large conformal bow array sonar
Flank array and 500-m towed array sonar
Additional high frequency bow sonar
Towed communications buoy
Unmanned underwater vehicle
(recoverable via hangar)
Remotely deployable sensor arrays
(in lieu of weapons)
Payload
4 torpedo tubes
(21-inch, positive discharge)
16 heavyweight torpedoes or
anti-ship missiles (interchangeable)
22 dedicated modular external
countermeasure/XBT launchers
Standard fit of 4 hard-kill and 20 soft-kill
countermeasures (interchangeable)
Self-Rescue
4 inflatable bags lift submarine to surface
using gases generated by solid reactants
Able to raise submarine from deep diving
depth after a full compartment flood
Chlöe Barker, Tim Larsen and Rob Jarvis Balance in optimisation