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HMS Victorious (S29)
Trident Nuclear Submarine HMS Victorious
Victorious near Faslane, Scotland in April 2013.
Career (UK) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom
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 2024
Badge: File:Victorious crest.jpg
General characteristics [1]
Class & type: Vanguard-class submarine
Displacement: Dived: 15,900 long tons (16,200 t)
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: Dived: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range: Unlimited distance; 20–25 years
Complement: 14 officers
121 enlisted
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
  • 1 × Pilkington Optronics CK51 search periscope
  • 1 × Pilkington Optronics CH91 attack periscope
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
  • 2 × 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 Spearfish torpedoes
  • 16 × ballistic missile tubes for 16 x Lockheed Trident D5 SLBMs carrying up to 192 warheads
  • 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".[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]

    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.[citation needed]

    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.[4] In 2008, she underwent sea trials before resuming patrols in 2009.

    In 2013, Victorious became the first UK SSBN to complete the 100th deterrent patrol.[5]

    General characteristics[]

    • Displacement: 16,000 tons submerged
    • Propulsion: Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactor, two GEC turbines, single shaft, pump jet propulsor
    • Electrical Power: two Paxman diesel generators, two WH Allen turbogenerators
    • Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) submerged
    • Complement: 21 officers, 146 men
    • Strategic Armament: 16 Lockheed Trident II D5 ballistic missiles
    • Defensive Armament: four 533 mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes, Spearfish torpedoes

    Affiliations[]

    Notes and references[]



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