| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 3 December 1987 |
| Launched | 29 September 1993 |
| Commissioned | 7 January 1995 |
| Homeport | HMNB Clyde |
| Status | In refit |
| Class | 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 |
|
| Speed | In excess of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph), submerged |
| Range | Only limited by food and maintenance requirements. |
| Complement | 135 |
| Sensors |
|
| Ew |
|
| Armament |
|
HMS Victorious is the second Vanguard-class submarine of the Royal Navy.[2] Victorious carries the Trident ballistic missile,[3] the UK's nuclear deterrent.
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.[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]
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.[5] In 2008, she underwent sea trials before resuming patrols in 2009.[6]
In 2013, Victorious completed the UK's 100th deterrent patrol by a Vanguard-class submarine.[7]
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.[8]
Affiliations
- The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
See also
- Letters of last resort
- List of submarines of the Royal Navy
- List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy
- Nuclear weapons and the United Kingdom
- Royal Navy Submarine Service
- Submarine-launched ballistic missile
- Trident nuclear programme
References
- ^ Mills, Claire (1 August 2024). "Replacing the UK's nuclear deterrent: The warhead programme". House of Commons Library
- ^ "Vanguard class submarine". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004–2005. Jane's Information Group Limited. p. 794. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.
- ^ "Nuclear Submarines: Accidents". 2 November 2010. Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "HMS Victorious". Royal Navy. Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ^ "HMS Victorious leaves Plymouth after three-year refit". justplymouth.com. 10 July 2008. Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ^ "Victorious summer ends with divisions for submarine's crew". Royal Navy. 26 July 2013. Archived 9 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ^ Nicholls, Dominic (7 November 2022). "Royal Navy nuclear-armed submarine forced to abort mission after catching fire". The Telegraph. Archived 18 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 November 2022.