This modern addition to the
British Royal Navy is a purpose built nuclear powered ballistic missile
carrier. There are 4
submarines in the Vanguard Class and HMS Victorious was the
second, launched on 29 September 1993.
Some fourteen years after
the start of what is known as the Trident project (so named because of
the missiles), the first Vanguard Class submarine, Vanguard,
entered service in December 1994.
One year later HMS
Victorious joined her. Vigilant, the third Trident submarine, was
commissioned November 1996 but did not become operational until December
1997. The fourth and last
submarine in this class, Vengeance, was commissioned into the Royal
Navy in Cumbria on 27 November 1999. The submarines were all designed and built by Vickers
Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited [VSEL] – now GEC Marine - at
Barrow-in-Furness. The
Trident D5 missiles that they carry are capable of covering a remarkable
6,500km giving the Vanguard Class submarine a considerable strike range.
At 150 metres long and displacing almost 16,000 tons
they are by far the largest submarines ever built in the UK.
They need the extra room in order to accommodate the Trident D5
missiles. Devonshire Dock
Hall at Barrow was built especially for their construction.
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Being nuclear powered all the Vanguard Class submarines could run
submerged for many years at a time if need be.
Air and water is recycled internally.
Although food supplies may run low they can always take on more at
sea from one of the special surface supply ships.
They operate in great secrecy and it is only usual to see one of
these boats on patrol when they leave and return to their base at Faslane,
Scotland. At all other times
they are submerged. In fact,
there is always at least one Vanguard Class beneath the waves silently
protecting out country, every single day of the year.
Technical Details
Displacement dived :
15,900 tons
Dimensions :
149.8 x 12.8 x 12 (metres)
Complement
:
132
Propulsion
:
Rolls
Royce PWR-2, 2xGEC 27500 hp turbines.
Other
machinery : 2 x
6MW TG's (WH Allen), 2 x 2MW DG's.(Paxman)
Speed
:
25
knots
Armament: Trident D5
missiles, 4 x torpedo tubes
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