HMS Victorious (S29)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Victorious.
Victorious near Faslane, Scotland in April 2013.
Career (UK)
Name: HMS Victorious
Laid down: 3 December 1987[1]
Launched: 29 September 1993[1]
Commissioned: 7 January 1995[1]
Homeport: HMNB Clyde
Fate: in active service, as of 2015
Badge:
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:Vanguard-class submarine
Displacement:15,900 tonnes, submerged[2]
Length:149.9 m (491 ft 10 in)
Beam:12.8 m (42 ft 0 in)
Draught:12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Propulsion:
  • 1 × Rolls-Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor
  • 2 × GEC turbines; 27,500 shp (20.5 MW)
  • 1 × shaft, pump jet propulsor
  • 2 × auxiliary retractable propulsion motors
  • 2 × WH Allen turbo generators (6 MW)
  • 2 × Paxman diesel alternators; 2,700 shp (2.0 MW)
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:
  • BAE Systems SMCS
  • Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 I-band navigation radar
  • Thales Underwater Systems Type 2054 composite sonar suite comprising: 
    • Marconi/Ferranti Type 2046 towed array sonar 
    • Type 2043 hull-mounted active and passive search sonar 
    • Type 2082 passive intercept and ranging sonar
  • Pilkington Optronics CK51 search periscope
  • Pilkington Optronics CH91 attack periscope
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
  • Two SSE Mk10 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys
  • RESM Racal UAP passive intercept
Armament:4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes for:

16 ballistic missile tubes for:

HMS Victorious is the second Vanguard-class submarine of the Royal Navy. Victorious carries the Trident ballistic missile, the UK's nuclear deterrent.

Victorious was built at Barrow-in-Furness by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (now BAE Systems Submarine Solutions), was launched in September 1993, and commissioned in January 1995.[1]

She has two crews, "Port" and "Starboard".[3]

Operational history

In November 2000, while travelling on the surface, Victorious grounded on Skelmorlie Bank in the upper Firth of Clyde in Scotland.[4]

Victorious was involved in a minor collision with a United States Coast Guard ship in July 2001. The Coast Guard ship became tangled in the fibre optic cables of the submarine's sonar system which disabled its turbines. Victorious was not damaged in the incident.

She became the second of the class to refit, during which time she was fitted with a 'Core H' reactor core ensuring that the boat will not need to refuel again until the end of its service life.[5] In 2008, she underwent sea trials before resuming patrols in 2009.

In 2013, Victorious completed the UK's 100th deterrent patrol.[6]

General characteristics

Affiliations

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Limited. p. 794. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.
  2. ↑ Royal Navy Vanguard class submarine, royalnavy.mod.uk
  3. ↑ Royal Navy bridge card, 11 February 2011
  4. ↑ Hansard Hand Written Answers, publications.parliament.uk, 2 Nov 2010
  5. ↑ Royal Navy - HMS Victorious, royalnavy.mod.uk
  6. ↑ Victorious summer ends with divisions for submarine’s crew, royalnavy.mod.uk, 26/07/2013

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMS Victorious (S29).