The UK Royal Navy’s remaining Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine has arrived at its homeport in Plymouth for decommissioning.
The HMS Triumph sailed its last voyage from Clyde Naval Base in Scotland where it received more than three decades of support to Devonport Naval Base.
A ceremony involved the parade of her decommissioning pennant while being escorted by other Royal Navy ships through Plymouth Sound, officially marking the end of the submarine’s front-line operations.
“This submarine has served not just as a vessel, but as a symbol of commitment, courage and camaraderie,” HMS Triumph Commanding Officer Cmdr. Aaron Williams commented at the event.
“And while this chapter of HMS Triumph’s story ends, her spirit will endure in the memories of all who served aboard her, and in the gratitude of the nations she helped protect.”
“Although HMS Triumph has carried out her missions with quiet strength and dedication behind every mission, deployment, and triumph has been the sacrifice and steadfast support of the families who stood behind us.”
The HMS Triumph’s Legacy
The HMS Triumph was launched in 1987 in England. It was then commissioned five years later as the final vessel of the Trafalgar class after six sister ships.
In 1993, the Triumph made one of its first long-distance deployments, sailing 41,000 miles (65,983 kilometers) to Australia without support in the “longest solo” journey by a nuclear-powered submarine at the time.
The platform then served in Afghanistan and the wider Mediterranean Sea in the early 2000s, where it fired Tomahawk subsonic cruise missiles to protect civilians from adversaries.
Currently, the Triumph is the Royal Navy’s tenth system and the second submarine to bear the name. The first Triumph was a 680-gun galleon built under Queen Elizabeth I and was the largest in England during the era.
“Having spent many years serving in Trafalgar-class SSNs it is with both pride and sadness that I see these excellent submarines reach the end of their career,” Royal Navy Submarines Director Rear Admiral Andy Perks remarked.
“The last of the Cold War submarines, these vessels have helped keep our country safe for over 30 years.
“As this era ends though, we can be assured that our Submarine Service remains well served by the Astute-class SSN.”
UK Royal Navy’s Trafalgar System
The Trafalgar-class system measures 85 meters (279 feet) long and can carry up to 130 personnel.
It is fitted with a Rolls-Royce PWR1 nuclear reactor, General Electric steam turbines, Paxman diesel generators, Allen turbo generators, and a pump jet propulsor for a speed of more than 30 knots (56 kilometers/35 miles per hour).
The submarine is armed with electronic warfare suites, torpedo decoys, cruise missiles, and heavyweight underwater warheads.