In the early hours of this morning a top secret operation was underway in Plymouth Sound.
Under the cover of dawn, the Royal Navy’s £1.2 billion nuclear submarine, HMS Astute, was quietly towed into Devonport Dockyard.
Once promoted as the future of undersea warfare, Astute is now back in port with suspected nuclear reactor issues.
It is feared that the submarine could be out of action for an extended period of time.
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Defence sources confirmed to Plymouth Plus that the submarine's armaments were removed before its arrival.
That unusual step has sparked further speculation that this is not a routine return, but a serious technical failure with long-term consequences.
The defence source also told us:
“It’s safe, but the reactor may be poisoned. That makes it very hard, possibly impossible, to restart”.
The submarine had recently been operating near Gibraltar before making its way to Plymouth.
Adding to the growing concern, engineers from Rolls-Royce, the company that designs and maintains Royal Navy submarine reactors, were reportedly seen observing the arrival.
Their presence is being viewed by insiders as confirmation that a serious issue may have occurred.
Public speculation has also grown online. A user on X said:
“Another Astute-class submarine limping home? And Devonport doesn’t even have room for it. This class has been nothing but problems.”
This is not the first time HMS Astute has faced problems. A previously leaked Ministry of Defence memo revealed widespread corrosion inside the submarine.
The issues were linked to inadequate materials, poor surface preparation, and cost-cutting decisions during construction.
Many fasteners and pipe fittings were left unpainted or poorly coated. Experts warned that simply repainting rusted areas would not solve the problem.
Corrosion could continue to spread beneath the surface and compromise long-term safety.
Despite undergoing recent upgrades to address earlier problems, HMS Astute now joins HMS Audacious, which was moved into dry dock at Devonport last month.
With two Astute-class submarines out of action, concerns are growing over the reliability and readiness of the Royal Navy’s nuclear fleet.
For now, HMS Astute sits idle inside Devonport. Its future remains uncertain.
