 Trafalgar class submarine |
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd |
| Operators: |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | Swiftsure-class |
| Succeeded by: | Astute-class |
| In service: | 1984 - |
| Completed: | 7 |
| Active: | Trafalgar Turbulent Tireless Torbay Trenchant Talent Triumph |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 5200 tons |
| Length: | 279ft |
| Beam: | 33ft |
| Draught: | 31ft |
| Propulsion: | Nuclear reactor powering steam turbines |
| Speed: | 30 knots |
| Range: | Unlimited, except by food supplies |
| Complement: | 130 |
| Armament: | Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. Spearfish wire-guided heavyweight torpedoes |
The Trafalgar class submarines were, until the introduction of the Astute class, the Royal Navy's most advanced nuclear fleet submarines (SSNs). HMS Torbay, HMS Trenchant, HMS Talent, and HMS Triumph have been fitted with Sonar 2076, which the Royal Navy describes as the most advanced sonar in service with any navy in the world.[1][2][3][4]
Contents |
Description
The Trafalgar is a refinement of the Swiftsure class and designed six years later than its predecessor. The design included a new reactor core and Type 2020 sonar. Internal layout is almost identical to the Swiftsure, and it is only 2.5 metres longer. The Trafalgar class have strengthened fins and retractable hydroplanes, allowing them to surface through thick ice. The hull is also covered in anechoic tiles which are designed to absorb sound rather than reflect it, making the boats more difficult to detect with active sonar.
The first Trafalgar class submarine was ordered on 7 April 1977 and completed in 1983. Turbulent was ordered on 28 July 1978; Tireless on 5 July 1979; Torbay on 26 June 1981; Trenchant on 22 March 1983; Talent on 10 September 1984; and finally Triumph on 3 July 1986.
In 1993 Triumph sailed to Australia, covering a distance of 41,000 miles whilst submerged and without any forward support. This marked the longest solo deployment by any British nuclear submarine.
The Trafalgar class was to be replaced by the Future Attack Submarine (FASM), however this project was effectively cancelled in 2001 and replaced by the Maritime Underwater Future Capability. The Astute class will eventually replace the Trafalgar class as well as the Swiftsure class of which only one remains in service. As of 2008 it is planned that the last Trafalgar class submarines will remain in service until 2022.[5]
The name Trafalgar refers to Battle of Trafalgar fought between the British Fleet and the combined fleets of France and Spain.
Construction programme
| Pennant number |
Name | (a) Hull builder | Ordered | Laid down | Launched | Accepted into service |
Commissioned | Estimated building cost[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S107 | Trafalgar | (a) Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness.[7] | 7 April 1977 [7] | 25 April 1978 [7] | 1 July 1981 [7] | 13 July 1983 [8] | 27 May 1983 [7] | £ |
| S87 | Turbulent | (a) Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness.[7] | 28 July 1978 [7] | 8 May 1980 [7] | 1 December 1982 [7] | 30 July 1984 [9] | 28 April 1984 [7] | £160,000,000 [9] |
| S88 | Tireless | (a) Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness.[7] | 5 July 1979 [7] | 6 June 1981 [7] | 17 March 1984 [7] | 30 October 1985 [9] | 5 October 1985 [7] | £ |
| S90 | Torbay | (a) Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness.[7] | 26 June 1981 [7] | 3 December 1982 [7] | 8 March 1985 [7] | 2 March 1987 [9] | 7 February 1987 [7] | £ |
| S91 | Trenchant | (a) Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness.[7] | 22 March 1983 [7] | 28 October 1985 [7] | 3 November 1986 [7] | 7 February 1989 [9] | 14 January 1989 [7] | £ |
| S92 | Talent | (a) Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness.[7] | 10 September 1984 [7][9] | 13 May 1986 [7] | 15 April 1988 [7] | 12 May 1990 [7] | £ | |
| S93 | Triumph | (a) Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness.[7] | 3 January 1986 [7][9] | 2 February 1987 [7] | 16 February 1991 [7] | 12 October 1991 [7] | £ |
In 1982, Jane's Fighting Ships recorded: "Estimated cost of fourth submarine £175 million including equipment and weapon system when fitted."[10]
In 1986, Jane's Fighting Ships recorded that the average cost for this class was £200 million at 1984-5 prices.[11]
Service problems
The Trafalgar class have suffered from a number of technical difficulties. In 1998 Trenchant experienced a steam leak, forcing the crew to shut down the nuclear reactor. In 2000 cracks were discovered in the reactor cooling pipes of Tireless, forcing her to proceed to Gibraltar on diesel power. In August 2000 it was revealed that with Tireless still at Gibraltar, Torbay, Turbulent, Trenchant and Talent were at Devonport for refit or repair and with Trafalgar undergoing sea trials, only one boat - Triumph - was fully operational. By 2005 refits had reportedly corrected these problems.
In 2002 Trafalgar ran aground off Skye during Operation Cockfight[12].
In 2007, a small explosion aboard HMS Tireless resulted in the death of two sailors and injury of another. The accident took place while the submarine was submerged under the Arctic icecap during a joint British-American exercise. An oxygen candle in the forward section of the submarine was thought to be responsible for the accident [13].
Decommissioning
The first of the submarines to be taken out of active service will be Trafalgar, which is due to be decommissioned on the 4th December 2009.[14]
General characteristics
- Builder: Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd
- Displacement: 4,750 tons surfaced, 5,208 tons submerged
- Length: 85.4 meters
- Beam: 9.8 meters
- Draught: 9.5 meters
- Complement: 18 officers, 112 ratings
- Propulsion: 1 x Rolls-Royce PWR1 pressurized water cooled nuclear reactor delivering 15,000 shp for 30 kt max
- Armament: five tubes capable of firing:
Tigerfish and Harpoons are no longer used by any submarine class within the Royal Navy.
- Sensors:
- sonar (bow, flank, active intercept, and towed arrays)
- periscopes (attack and search)
- collision avoidance radar
- Command System:
- SMCS
- SMCS-NG (based on Microsoft Windows) from 2004 onwards
Footnotes
- ^ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2511
- ^ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.13283/changeNav/3533Royal Navy News and Events: Trenchant Sails After Busy Maintenance Period
- ^ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.8238/changeNav/3533 Royal Navy News and Events: Upgraded Attack Submarine Rejoins the Fleet
- ^ http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.2981/changeNav/3533 Royal Navy News and Events: Minister Visits Multi-Million Pound Submarine Overhaul And Upgrade Programme
- ^ Trafalgar Class Submarines, Hansard, 17 Nov 2008 : Column 154W, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081117/text/81117w0035.htm#08111816000055, retrieved 2009-07-12
- ^ "Unit cost, i.e. excluding cost of certain items (e.g. aircraft, First Outfits)." Text from Defences Estimates
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai Sharpe, Richard, Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996-97, pub 1996, Jane's Information Group, ISBN 0-7106-1355-5 page 758.
- ^ Hansard HC Deb 23 October 1989 vol 158 cc357-8W Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking him to list the Royal Navy vessels built in each of the past 15 years, showing the cost of each and the yards in which they were constructed, 23 October 1983. The second part of this may be found at Hansard HC Deb 23 October 1989 vol 158 cc358-61W.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hansard HC Deb 23 October 1989 vol 158 cc358-61W Question to the Secretary of State for Defence asking him to list the Royal Navy vessels built in each of the past 15 years, showing the cost of each and the yards in which they were constructed, 23 October 1983. The first part of this may be found at Hansard HC Deb 23 October 1989 vol 158 cc357-8W.
- ^ Moore, John, Jane's Fighting Ships, 1982-83, pub Jane's Publishing Company, 1982, ISBN 0-7106-0742-3 page 546.
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 1986-87.
- ^ Royal Navy submarine's £5m repair bill blamed on tracing paper | UK news | guardian.co.uk
- ^ BBC NEWS | England | Oxygen device sparked sub blast
- ^ BBC News Submarine's final sailing to base
References
- Okręty Podwodne Świata www.ops.mil.pl (pl)
- Royal Navy official site
- Report on 2003 upgrade of Torbay
- Abridged history of each boat
- MaritimeQuest Trafalgar Class Overview
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