Military sources report that HMS Anson, a nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine, has arrived in the Arabian Sea. The vessel left port in Perth on March 6 and has traveled 5,500 miles from the west coast of Australia to await orders. HMS Anson is believed to be taking up position in the deep waters of the northern Arabian Sea, though the Ministry of Defence declined to comment today on the submarine's location.
' The submarine is fitted with Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of 1,000 miles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes, giving it the capacity to launch cruise missile attacks. British forces have the capacity to launch attacks on Iran if the conflict escalates. Downing Street said on Friday that Sir Keir Starmer had agreed to allow the US to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites that have been targeting the Strait of Hormuz.
Anson will be quietly lurking. The Prime Minister and Commander Maritime Operations will be told where she is and, of course, the Submarine Service – but her location won't be widely known.
Sir Keir Starmer had previously allowed US forces to use the bases only for defensive operations, to prevent Iran firing missiles that put British interests or lives at risk. He has now approved an expansion of the targets to help protect ships in the shipping channel on the basis of 'collective self-defence'. The exact timeline or conditions under which the UK would authorize missile strikes from HMS Anson remain unclear.
At the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) in Northwood, London, Lieutenant General Nick Perry, the chief of joint operations, would give the order to fire if authorised by the Prime Minister, according to defence sources. HMS Anson would then rise close to the surface and dispatch a salvo of four missiles. The submarine rises to just below the surface every 24 hours to allow it to communicate with PJHQ.
The Navy dashes submarines into place and can then leave them sitting there for weeks.
Its nuclear reactor means it will not need to be refuelled during its 25-year service, and its ability to purify water and air means it can circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. However, the vessel is only able to carry three months' supply of food for 98 officers and ratings, which could limit its deployment duration.