Resolution-class submarine

Section model of HMS Resolution (S22 )

The nuclear -powered submarines of the Resolution- class SSBNs were the first of the Royal Navy for the use of nuclear missiles. Until the 1990s they were the core of the nuclear deterrence policy. They were stationed in Scotland at Faslane -on- Clyde.

History

After the United States had successfully tested the use of nuclear missiles from submarines, and Britain decided to go into this technology. The defense company Vickers Armstrong in Barrow-in -Furness was commissioned with the construction of five SSBN. Since first British experiments with sea-based nuclear missiles failed, it was decided to equip the submarines with American Polaris missiles. After a year of negotiations, the U.S. and Britain signed in 1963 a contract for the purchase of 80 Polaris nuclear missiles. These were delivered until 1970.

In 1967, the HMS Resolution was the first submarine of the new class placed in service and subjected to extensive testing. On February 15, 1968, the Resolution fired a Polaris missile with a 50 kiloton nuclear warhead from a nuclear test site of the United States. Subsequent tests in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were successfully completed during the year. Until 1969, all four SSBN were put into service, the contract for the fifth U- boat had been canceled in 1965.

In the following three decades, the U- boats patrolled continuously on the oceans as a bulwark against the Soviet Union. Your bets subject always of the highest level of secrecy. For detailed information on which were not published until today. In general, any two of the submarines were in use worldwide, while one was in the base at Faslane -on- Clyde in readiness. The fourth submarine was for maintenance and repair work also in Faslane.

In the 1980s, the SSBN were completely modernized, with, inter alia, the missiles were equipped with more powerful warheads. However, the technical problems over the years continued to increase and the maintenance costs skyrocketed. In the early 80s, the government had announced the construction of a replacement model in order, the Vanguard class. In 1992, the HMS Revenge and Resolution were retired. A year later, the HMS Vanguard was placed as the first ship of the new, larger class SSBN in service. By 1996, all submarines of the Resolution- class were replaced by four new SSBN Vanguard Class.

Upon their retirement, the reactors were removed, but it turned out that the hulls still had too much ionizing radiation, in order to scrap regularly. Since then, the four submarines lying in a shipyard in Rosyth in Scotland. In 2000, the company Babcock Rosyth Ltd started. in a pilot project with the dismantling of the HMS Renown, be applied to the new method of disposal. When will all submarines dismantled and disposed of is unclear.

Fleet

• S22 HMS Resolution (1967 )
• HMS Repulse S23 (1968 )
• S26 HMS Renown (1968 )
• S27 HMS Revenge ( 1969)
• HMS Ramillies - canceled