HMS Victorious (S29)
HMS Victorious is the second Vanguard-class submarine of the Royal Navy.[1] Victorious carries the Trident ballistic missile,[2] the UK's nuclear deterrent.
History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Victorious |
Laid down | 3 December 1987 |
Launched | 29 September 1993 |
Commissioned | 7 January 1995 |
Homeport | HMNB Clyde |
Status | In active service |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Vanguard-class submarine |
Displacement | 15,900 tonnes, submerged |
Length | 149.9 m (491 ft 10 in) |
Beam | 12.8 m (42 ft 0 in) |
Draught | 12 m (39 ft 4 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | In excess of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph), submerged |
Range | Only limited by food and maintenance requirements. |
Complement | 135 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Electronic warfare & decoys |
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Armament |
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Victorious was built at Barrow-in-Furness by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, later BAE Systems Submarine Solutions, was launched in September 1993, and commissioned in January 1995.[2]
Operational history
In November 2000, while travelling on the surface, Victorious grounded on Skelmorlie Bank in the upper Firth of Clyde in Scotland.[3]
She became the second of the class to refit, during which time she was fitted with a Core H reactor ensuring that the boat will not need to refuel again until the end of its service life.[4] In 2008, she underwent sea trials before resuming patrols in 2009.[5]
In 2013, Victorious completed the UK's 100th deterrent patrol by a Vanguard-class submarine.[6]
In 2022, Victorious was forced to surface in the North Atlantic after a fire broke out in an electrical module. A Royal Navy spokesperson said the submarine was not actively deployed on a continuous at-sea deterrent (CASD) patrol, but was instead en route to the United States for a series of exercises. Victorious subsequently returned to her homebase in Faslane, Scotland.[7]
Affiliations
- The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
See also
References
- "Vanguard class submarine". Royal Navy.
- Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004–2005. Jane's Information Group Limited. p. 794. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.
- Peter Luff, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support & Technology (2 November 2010). "Nuclear Submarines: Accidents". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. col. 693W–694W.
- "HMS Victorious". Royal Navy. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- "HMS Victorious leaves Plymouth after three-year refit". justplymouth.com. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- "Victorious summer ends with divisions for submarine's crew". Royal Navy. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- Nicholls, Dominic (7 November 2022). "Royal Navy nuclear-armed submarine forced to abort mission after catching fire". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 November 2022.