LMAO at this post by the Mythbuster from Scotland

Off-topic: submarine porn

Now isn't the Astute seriously cool and sexy?

There are all sorts of features on that hull which make you want to sit down with the designer and ask "Why that?"

Except, of course, that all he could do would be to shrug and make slitting motions near his throat.

Creeping sort of back on-topic, it is of course highly gratifying that as part of the UK we will have babies like the Astute defending us. Not something an "independent" Scotland could afford by any stretch.

And, of course, the Astutes are a bit late and over-budget. This is because there was too much of a gap between the last order for the Vanguard-class bombers and the first for the Astutes, which meant that the one yard in the country which can build subs (Barrow) suffered significant de-skilling.

Which leads on to further thoughts about Trident replacement. If this is cancelled or delayed, then we might find ourselves having to order extra Astute-class SSNs. Otherwise, Barrow will shut and the UK will lose, for ever and ever, the capability to build nuclear-powered subs. Which are literally in a different order-of-magnitude class of effectiveness from conventional diesel-electric boats.

This feeds in to the Trident-replacement debate, as you can see. A huge chunk of the apparent cost-saving from not replacing Trident disappears, unless you are also willing to see Barrow close and the loss of a UK SSN construction capability. It's not just about morals or costs, it affects industrial strategy.