The Royal Navy’s cutting-edge attack submarine HMS Astute has been spotted in Gibraltar loading Tomahawk cruise missiles, reinforcing the UK’s naval firepower as it continues its largest maritime deployment of 2025.
The replenishment of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) is part of a routine resupply operation, ensuring the submarine remains fully armed and ready for long-range precision strike missions during its extended deployment. Gibraltar, located at the gateway to the Mediterranean, serves as a key logistical hub for the Royal Navy, offering vital support for vessels operating across Europe, the Middle East and beyond.
HMS Astute, the lead boat of the Astute-class submarine fleet, is renowned for its stealth, endurance and formidable weapons systems. Among those, the Tomahawk missile stands out as a strategic asset, giving the UK a land-attack capability that can accurately strike targets up to 1,000 miles away.
Currently, HMS Astute is participating in Operation Highmast, Britain’s flagship naval deployment of the year. Led by aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, the eight-month Carrier Strike Group (CSG) mission spans the Mediterranean, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan and Australia. The operation showcases the UK’s commitment to international maritime security and the global rules-based order.
As part of Operation Highmast, the Carrier Strike Group is involved in several major multinational exercises, including NATO’s Neptune Strike 2025, along with bilateral engagements with key partners. HMS Astute plays a critical role within the task group, offering underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, as well as delivering precision strikes when required.
The Tomahawk cruise missile, often referred to by its acronym TLAM, is a GPS-guided weapon system used by both the US and UK navies. Unlike ballistic missiles, Tomahawks fly at low altitude, navigating terrain features with a jet engine, making them difficult to detect and intercept.
With a combat history dating back to the 1990s, the Tomahawk has been used extensively in operations against the Taliban, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and during the Kosovo conflict. In 2017, the United States launched 59 Tomahawks at Syrian targets in response to a chemical weapons attack.
The UK last purchased 65 TLAMs in 2014 and continues to maintain a stockpile for submarine-launched operations. More than 2,000 Tomahawks have been used in combat globally, with an additional 500 flight tests conducted, according to the missile’s manufacturer.
As HMS Astute continues her role in Operation Highmast, the loading of Tomahawks sends a clear signal: Britain’s underwater strike capability remains sharp, silent and mission-ready.
