Royal Navy Submarine Service
Name Class Pennant Number Launched
Trenchant Trafalgar S91 1986
Talent Trafalgar S92 1988
Triumph Trafalgar S93 1991
Astute Astute S119 2007
Ambush Astute S120 2011
Artful Astute S121 2014
Audacious Astute S122 2016
Active submarines -- Fleet submarines
HMS Astute , a nuclear-powered fleet submarine . There are seven fleet submarines on active duty – three Trafalgar and four Astute . They are all nuclear submarines and are classified as SSNs . [ 28 ] These submarines are armed with the Spearfish torpedo for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare . They have the ability to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles for attacking targets on land . This capability was used by Trafalgar against the Taliban in 2001 during Operation Veritas . The Fleet submarines are also capable of surveillance and reconnaissance missions . [ 29 ] Fleet submarines are sometimes referred to as attack or hunter-killer vessels .
The Royal Navy Submarine Service is one of the of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes known as the Silent Service, as the submarines are generally required to operate undetected. The service operates seven fleet submarines (SSNs), of the and es (with four currently planned or under construction), and four ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), of the . All of these submarines are nuclear powered. Since 1993 the post of Flag Officer Submarines has been dual-hatted with the post of Commander Operations. The Royal Navy's senior submariner was for many years located at in Hampshire. It moved from Dolphin to the Northwood Headquarters in 1978. The Submarine School is now at at Torpoint in Cornwall.