HMS Talent (S92)

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HMS Talent (S92) with Lynx in the Mediterranean Sea 2013.JPG
Talent in the Mediterranean Sea, October 2013.
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Talent
Ordered10 September 1984
Builder Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down13 May 1986
Launched15 April 1988
Sponsored by The Princess Royal
Commissioned12 May 1990
Decommissioned20 May 2022
Homeport HMNB Clyde, Faslane
IdentificationS92
StatusDecommissioned
Badge Talent.jpg
General characteristics
Class and type Trafalgar-class submarine
Displacement
  • Surfaced: 4,500 to 4,800 t (4,700 long tons; 5,300 short tons) [1]
  • Submerged: 5,200 to 5,300 t (5,200 long tons; 5,800 short tons) [1]
Length85.4 m (280 ft 2 in) [1]
Beam9.8 m (32 ft 2 in) [1]
Draught9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) [1]
Propulsion
SpeedOver 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), submerged [1]
RangeUnlimited [1]
Complement130 [1]
Sensors and
processing systems
Sonar 2076
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:

HMS Talent is the sixth of seven Trafalgar-class nuclear submarines operated by the Royal Navy from 1990 until 2022. It was built at Barrow-in-Furness.

Contents

Name

Talent is the third submarine of the Royal Navy to bear the name. The first was a T-class submarine that was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy as HNLMS Zwaardvisch before launching in 1943. The second, was also a T-class submarine, launched in 1945 and operated by the Royal Navy until 1966.

Operational history

Talent was launched by The Princess Royal in April 1988, and commissioned in May 1990.

Talent entered HMNB Devonport, its homeport, for a refit, rejoining the active fleet in March 2007 following a £386 million upgrade. This included a new reactor core, and updated sonar suite: Sonar 2076.

In 2009, Talent suffered loss of primary and alternative power supplies to its nuclear reactors while in dock. [3]

On 6 August 2013, Talent returned to Plymouth after a 3-month deployment. [4] In October 2013, the submarine conducted an anti-submarine exercise with HMS Dragon, USS Gravely, USS Stout and USS Barry. [5]

In April 2015, it was reported that Talent had struck ice at some point in 2014 while tracking Russian vessels. [6]

Talent moved from Devonport to HMNB Clyde in July 2019. [7]

Although originally scheduled for decommissioning in 2021, the slow delivery of the Astute-class boats meant that Talent was retained in service for at least an additional 12 months, with a planned out of service date extended to the end of 2022. [8]

Under the terms of the 2021 Integrated Review, Talent was scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of 2022, to be replaced by HMS Anson, the fifth Astute-class submarine. [8] In April 2022, it was reported that Talent was being prepared for disposal and the submarine was decommissioned in a joint ceremony with Trenchant on 20 May 2022, in the presence of the Princess Royal. [9] [10] [11]

Affiliations

The boat was affiliated with the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, and while commissioned, its crew enjoyed Freedom of the Town. [12]

The submarine's sponsor was the Princess Royal, who presided over its launch in 1988 and its decommissioning ceremony in 2022.

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Trafalgar class is a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines (SSNs) in service with the Royal Navy, and the successor to the Swiftsure class. Like the majority of Royal Navy nuclear submarines, all seven boats were constructed at Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, Cumbria. With only one boat remaining active and in commission and six retired from the seven originally in service, the class makes up part of the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered ‘hunter-killer’ submarine force. The Trafalgar class has nearly been replaced by the larger and more capable Astute class, of which five are commissioned.

<i>Vanguard</i>-class submarine Royal Navy ballistic missile submarine class

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HMS <i>Astute</i> (S119) Lead boat of her class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

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<i>Astute</i>-class submarine Class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines

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HMS <i>Triumph</i> (S93) Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>Tireless</i> (S88) Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS Tireless was the third Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine of the Royal Navy. Tireless is the second submarine of the Royal Navy to bear this name. Launched in March 1984, Tireless was sponsored by Sue Squires, wife of Admiral 'Tubby' Squires, and commissioned in October 1985.

HMS <i>Torbay</i> (S90) Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>Trenchant</i> (S91) Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS Trenchant was a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy built by Vickers Shipbuilding, Barrow-in-Furness. Trenchant was based at HMNB Devonport. She was the third vessel and the second submarine of the Royal Navy to be named for the characteristic of vigour and incisiveness.

HMS <i>Ambush</i> (S120) Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

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The fifth HMS Sceptre is a Swiftsure-class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness. She was launched in 1976, with a bottle of cider against her hull. She was commissioned on 14 February 1978, by Lady Audrey White. She was the tenth nuclear fleet submarine to enter service with the Royal Navy. She was decommissioned on 10 December 2010, at which time she was the oldest commissioned vessel in the Royal Navy still available for service; in total around 1,500 men served aboard during her commission. In theory, she is replaced by the first Astute-class submarine in service, HMS Astute.

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HMS <i>Audacious</i> (S122) Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMNB Devonport</span> Operating base in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>Anson</i> (S123) Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>Agamemnon</i> (S123) Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. p. 12. ISBN   978-1904459552.
  2. "US study of reactor and fuel types to enable naval reactors to shift from HEU fuel". International Panel on Fissile Missiles. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  3. Masters, Sam. "Major nuclear incident at Britain's Royal Navy submarine base averted". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  4. HMS Talent returns, royalnavy.mod.uk
  5. HMS Talent Archived 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine , navynews.co.uk
  6. LaGrone, Sam (20 July 2016). "HMS Ambush Collides With Merchant Vessel". USNI News. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  7. Channon, Max (31 July 2019). "Sub leaves for last time before she joins nuclear graveyard". plymouthherald. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  8. 1 2 "The Defence Command Paper and the future of the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  9. "HMS Talent retired. Royal Navy down to just 5 attack submarines | Navy Lookout". 20 April 2022.
  10. "Talent and Trenchant decommission as new submarine fleet sails forward". Royal Navy. 20 May 2022.
  11. Farewell to fleet members Ships Monthly July 2022 page 15
  12. Humprhries, Hilary (27 October 2022). "HMS Talent Returns Freedom Rights to Shrewsbury". Shrewsbury Town Council. Retrieved 23 April 2023.