Astraea (nuclear warhead)
| Astraea A21 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Nuclear weapon |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | Planned from 2030s |
| Used by | Royal Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Atomic Weapons Establishment |
| Specifications | |
Detonation mechanism | Contact, airburst |
The Astraea A21 is a British nuclear warhead being developed by the Atomic Weapons Establishment to replace the Holbrook warheads on Royal Navy submarines from the 2030s.
Named after the Greek goddess of justice and precision, the warhead will be carried by the upcoming Dreadnought-class submarines on Trident II D5 missiles. The warhead is being developed in parallel with the American W93 nuclear warhead, with which it will share the Mark 7 re-entry body and some non-nuclear components.