The last of the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar-class attack submarines has arrived home in Plymouth for the final time before decommissioning.
HMS Triumph was laid down in Barrow shipyard in February 1987 and commissioned less than five years later in October 1991, the last of the class to be built after her six sisters HMS Talent, Trenchant, Torbay, Tireless, Turbulent and Trafalgar.
Triumph, sailed into her homeport at Devonport Naval Base after her final voyage from Scotland, where submariners bade farewell to the long-serving stalwart at Clyde Naval Base after a career of nearly 34 years.
Triumph flew her decommissioning pennant and was escorted in by an array of vessels as she entered Plymouth Sound marking the end of her fruitful time on front-line operations that took her around the globe to all corners of the planet.
“This submarine has served not just as a vessel, but as a symbol of commitment, courage and camaraderie,” Commander Aaron Williams, HMS Triumph’s Commanding Officer, said.
“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 boat deployed to Australia in 1993, travelling 41,000 miles submerged without support – at the time the longest solo deployment by a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine.
She served in Afghanistan in 2001, launching Tomahawk missiles at targets, and later deployed to Libya – again firing her weaponry at positions from the Mediterranean Sea as part of international efforts to protect civilians.
On both occasions, Triumph flew the Jolly Roger flag from her fin as she returned to Plymouth – a Submarine Service tradition which celebrates the completion of a successful combat mission.
The submarine was the tenth Royal Navy vessel to bear the HMS Triumph name, a moniker with a rich heritage – the first was a 680-gun galleon built in 1561 and was the largest built in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
“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,” said Royal Navy Director Submarine, Rear Admiral Andy Perks. “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.”
BAE Systems in Barrow built Astute class HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful and HMS Audacious which are already in service and were joined in February 2023 by HMS Anson. A further two boats – named Agamemnon and Agincourt – are currently under construction at Barrow and will complete the class.
