Styx-class submarine
| File:Styx Class 2.png Styx Class
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Styx Class ballistic missile/cruise missile submarine |
| Builders: | Arthuristan Dynamics |
| Operators: | Commonwealth Navy |
| Preceded by: | Reprisal Class |
| In service: | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Ballistic missile submarine |
| Displacement: | 15,950 tonnes submerged |
| Length: | 150m |
| Beam: | 13m |
| Draught: | 12m |
| Installed power: | Arthuristan Dynamics SP-2 reactor (45MW), 2 x steam turbines, MTU 600 kilowatt diesel generator (240kW), Arthuristan Dynamics SPJ-1 pump jet |
| Speed: | 25kn+ submerged |
| Range: | Theoretically unlimited |
| Test depth: | 300m+ |
| Complement: | 14 officers, 121 enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems: | Thales Sonar 2076, Atlas DESO 25 echosounder, 2 x Thales CM010 optronic masts |
| Armament: | 16 x SLBMs, 4 x 21-inch torpedo tubes |
The Styx-class is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. It was developed to replace the legacy Reprisal Class SSBN of 60s-vintage. It shares many commonalities with the Triton Class SSN then simultaneously in development, including the latter's acoustic tile technology. Each Styx Class vessel is armed with 16 Bluesun Mark 3 SLBMs and four 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Four Styx Class SSBNs are currently in active service with the Commonwealth Navy. The boats of the class entered service in the late-90s:
- HHS Styx
- HHS Hades
- HHS Minos
- HHS Charon
In order to provide Continuous At Sea Deterrence (CASD), at least one of the four are always on patrol in peacetime, and there is a 50% chance that one other boats is also at sea at any given moment. Of the other two, one in drydock undergoing routine maintenance/repair, while anotheris in 'active readiness' posture and can be sortied given 12 hours' notice. In wartime, the number of boats continuously at sea can be increased to three, although this is not maintainable in the long term and will lead to decreased readiness for a period of time after the termination of the heightened alert period.
See also: Arthuristan nuclear strategy