Plymouth bids farewell to HMS Victorious after refit

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The Vanguard class submarine HMS Victorious has left Plymouth today, Thursday 10 July 2008, after completing her three and a half year multi-million pound overhaul at Devonport Royal Dockyard.


HMS Victorious leaves Plymouth
[Picture: LA (Phot) Ray Jones]

Victorious is heading to Scotland for sea trials that mark the start of a process of regeneration of the platform and crew to operational status following her Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) [LOP(R)].

Over 80 submarine design improvements have been incorporated with all the submarine systems having been surveyed, overhauled and refurbished or replaced, returning the vessel to 'as new' condition. 14,000 items of ship's equipment were removed and 2,600 new items manufactured. The project has involved some 2.2 million man-hours and 10,000 people in total.

Work has included a new propulsor and tail shaft, major overhaul and commissioning of the safety critical 650kw motor generators, survey, repair and preservation of the huge main ballast tanks and substantial torpedo tube overhaul and upgrade, as well as major inspections of the main engines, gearbox and turbo generators.

As the second Trident nuclear submarine refit and refuel to be undertaken at Devonport, a range of innovative project management and technical solutions have been employed including the first use of the new Primary Circuit Decontamination (PCD) facility.

The MOD's Project Contract Manager, Commander Richard Carrick, said:

"Submarine conditions are pretty arduous, so the past three and a half years has seen a long overhaul period with refuelling as well.

"The next stage of sea trials allows for any defects to be rectified before being returned to Fleet. The crew will then be brought up to operational readiness ready for HMS Victorious to be entered back into operational service in 2009."

During sea trials, all submarine systems are comprehensively tested to ensure equipment performs to the high standards expected with any anomalies being rectified prior to formal handover to the Fleet.

The period includes intensive training of the submarine crew in a wide range of safety drills and operational performance, ready to progress the final system integration and weapon load shortly before re-entering the operational deterrent cycle.

Commanding Officer, Commander David Pollock, said:

"HMS Victorious is an important Fleet unit that has been overhauled and equipped to play a key part in the provision of Continuous At Sea Deterrence.

"With the rigours of sea trials, Operational Sea Training and system integration, there is still a long way to go before Victorious returns to the operational cycle, but the ship’s company are ready and looking forward to the challenges ahead."

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