HMS Victorious (S29)

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.

She has two crews, "Port" and "Starboard".

Operational history
In November 2000, while travelling on the surface, Victorious grounded on Skelmorlie Bank in the upper Firth of Clyde in Scotland.

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.

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. 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.

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 kn 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

 * The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland