HMS Triumph (S93)

HMS Triumph is a Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine of the Royal Navy and was the seventh and final boat of her class. She is the nineteenth nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine built for the Royal Navy. Triumph is the tenth vessel, and the second submarine to bear the name. The first HMS Triumph was a 68-gun galleon built in 1561.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Triumph.

HMS Triumph (S93) in the Middle East, 2012
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Triumph
Ordered: 3 July 1986
Builder: Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 2 February 1987
Launched: 16 February 1991
Sponsored by: Mrs. Ann Hamilton
Commissioned: 2 October 1991
Homeport: HMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Badge:
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Trafalgar-class submarine
Displacement:
  • Surfaced: 4,500 to 4,800 t (4,700 long tons; 5,300 short tons)[2]
  • Submerged: 5,200 to 5,300 t (5,200 long tons; 5,800 short tons)[2]
Length: 85.4 m (280 ft)[2]
Beam: 9.8 m (32 ft)[2]
Draught: 9.5 m (31 ft)[2]
Propulsion:
  • 1 × Rolls Royce PWR1 nuclear reactor
  • 2 × GEC steam turbines
  • 2 × WH Allen turbo generators; 3.2 MW
  • 2 × Paxman diesel alternators 2,800 shp (2.1 MW)
  • 1 × pump jet propulsor
  • 1 × motor for emergency drive
  • 1 × auxiliary retractable prop
Speed: Over 30 knots (56 km/h), submerged[2]
Range: Unlimited[2]
Complement: 130[2]
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
  • 2 × SSE Mk8 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys
  • RESM Racal UAP passive intercept
  • CESM Outfit CXA
  • SAWCS decoys carried from 2002
Armament:
  • 5 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes with stowage for up to 30 weapons:

Triumph was laid down in 1987 by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited.[3] One year previously, a mistake by senior management and changing shipbuilding methods meant that the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness accidentally welded part of the submarine in an upside-down position.[4] This was later corrected, and the ship was launched in February 1991 by Mrs. Ann Hamilton, wife of the then Armed Forces Minister Archie Hamilton.[3] She was commissioned in October that same year.

In 2005, Triumph began a £300 million nuclear refuel and refitting period which also saw the installation of an updated 2076 bow, flank and towed array sonar and a new command and control system. The boat rejoined the fleet in June 2010 and is due to be the last of the Trafalgar-class submarines to be decommissioned, scheduled for 2022.[3][5]

Triumph is due to move to Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in 2020.[6]

Operational history

Triumph sailed to Australia in 1993, travelling 41,000 miles (66,000 km) submerged without support—the longest solo deployment so far by a Royal Navy nuclear submarine.[7] In that same year, author Tom Clancy published a book called Submarine: a Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship which was centred around Triumph and USS Miami.

War in Afghanistan

After the 9/11 attacks in the USA, Triumph, along with her sister-ship Trafalgar, formed part of a task group in 2001 as part of the American-led invasion of Afghanistan, Britain's contribution being known as Operation Veritas.[7]

During Operation Veritas, Triumph launched Tomahawk missiles at targets inside Afghanistan. When Triumph returned home after operations had ended, the boat flew the Jolly Roger, the traditional way of denoting live weapons had been fired.[8]

On 19 November 2000, Triumph ran aground travelling at 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) and at a depth of 200 metres while off the western Scottish coast. The boat surfaced in a safe and controlled fashion. She was under the command of trainee officers and an investigation attributed the grounding to poor navigation. Triumph suffered only superficial damage.[9]

Triumph was also featured in the TV programme "How to Command a Nuclear Submarine" in 2011 in which trainee commanding officers are shown on the Navy's "Perisher Course".

Libya Operations

In March 2011, she participated in Operation Ellamy, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles on 19 March 20 March and again on 24 March at Libyan air defence targets. One of these strikes hit a command and control centre in Colonel Gaddafi's presidential compound.[3] Triumph returned to Devonport on 3 April 2011 flying a Jolly Roger adorned with six small tomahawk axes to indicate the missiles fired by the submarine in the operation.[10][11][12][13][14]

Eleven weeks later on 20 June upon her return to Devonport, in the interim having deployed for a second deployment in the Mediterranean and relieving HMS Turbulent, she once again flew the Jolly Roger adorned with tomahawks, indicating that further cruise missile strikes had taken place in Libya as part of the ongoing operations there.[15] Analysts believe that in total more than 15 cruise missiles were fired by the submarine during the operations.[16]

2011/2012 Deployment

In November 2011, Triumph sailed from her home port in Devonport for a seven-month deployment that will see her away from the UK until summer 2012. The deployment will see her operate in a wide range of locations including the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.[17]

2013

It was reported in May 2013 that her refit was completed and that she has returned to operational duties.[18]

Home port and affiliations

Triumph is part of the Devonport Flotilla based at Devonport.

She is currently affiliated with:

  • Blackpool Borough Council[19]
  • Newton Abbot Town Council[19]
  • The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment[19]
  • Sussex University Royal Naval Unit[19]
  • Worshipful Company of Upholders[19]
  • TS Exmouth Sea Cadet Unit[19]
  • TS Amazon Sea Cadet Unit[19]
  • 1322 (Newton Abbot) Squadron Air Training Corps[19]
  • The Royal Naval Association (Newton Abbot Branch)[19]
  • The Royal British Legion (Newton Abbot Branch)[19]
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gollark: Like those conspiracy theory things? Interesting.
gollark: Well, not zzcxz's specifically, but I think I know what it uses.
gollark: This *is* on the intended features list.
gollark: Mostly.

References
  1. "Trafalgar Class". Royal Navy. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  2. Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. p. 12. ISBN 1904459552.
  3. Archived 20 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. AP (10 April 1988). "Upside-down submarine section embarrassing". JOC.com. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  5. Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Nov 2008 (pt 0035)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2013.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "Ministry of Defence confirms future submarine basing plan - News stories - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  7. "HMS Triumph returns from Libya operations". GOV.UK. 4 April 2011.
  8. "Home and away over Christmas". Navy News. 24 December 2001.
  9. Archived 5 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Nick Hopkins (20 March 2011). "Air strikes clear the skies but leave endgame uncertain". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  11. "Missiles target Libyan air defences". Navy News. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  12. "Reporting from the Fleet". Navy News. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  13. "Reporting from the Fleet". Navy News. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  14. "Daring at the heart of stunning maritime spectacle in Sydney". Navynews.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  15. "Reporting from the Fleet". Navy News. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  16. "No end in sight as RAF marks 100 days over Libya". BBC News. 4 October 2011.
  17. "Reporting from the Fleet". Navy News. 10 November 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  18. "130521-Triumph returns to op duties". Royal Navy. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  19. "HMS Triumph – affiliations". Royal Navy website. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.


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