When the builders of the latest class of nuclear-powered attack submarines for the UK’s Royal Navy needed temperature control valves for the vessels’ reactor cooling circuits, they turned to Walton Engineering.

Having supplied valves for the same application on the three previous classes of submarine (Swiftsure, Trafalgar and Vanguard Classes), they knew that the reliability and durability of Walton valves are well proven.

As with the previous classes of submarine, Walton was able to meet the stringent quality and shock resistance requirements demanded by the customer for this application. For the Astute Class some changes were necessary, and by working closely with our ISO 9001 accredited foundry suppliers we were able to meet the revised requirements.

As of 2021 the first four vessels of the class had been commissioned, with the remaining three under construction at BAE Systems Barrow-in-Furness shipyard.