Pioneering work to dismantle a decommissioned Royal Navy submarine has reached a major milestone as engineers remove the distinctive fin from the boat.
Barrow-built Swiftsure which was launched in 1971 will become the first decommissioned submarine to be dismantled by the end of 2026 in what the Government’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise says will establish ‘a unique and world-first methodology to disposal.’
It is estimated 90% of Swiftsure’s total weight will be recycled with some of the high-quality steel repurposed into components for future Royal Navy submarines. The Submarine Dismantling Project supports 200 jobs in Rosyth where the project is based.
“To see the fin of Swiftsure removed is a significant marker of progress in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise’s Submarine Dismantling Project,” Sir Chris Gardner KBE, CEO of the Submarine Delivery Agency, said.
“Our colleagues continue to work tirelessly alongside our industry partners in Rosyth to deliver a proven dismantling method using this demonstrator vessel. My thanks go to everyone involved in this ground breaking work.”
The disposal approach was supported by two public consultations in 2012 and 2015 and lessons from Swiftsure will develop the blueprint for the recycling of the remaining decommissioned Pressurised Water Reactor 1 submarines.
