Editing Vanguard-class submarine (section)

{{Short description|Royal Navy ballistic missile submarine class}}
{{Other ships|HMS Vanguard}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = Vanguard class SSBN.svg
| Ship caption = ''Vanguard''-class SSBN profile
}}
|-
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = Vanguard at Faslane 03.jpg
| Ship caption = HMS ''Vanguard'' at [[HMNB Clyde|Faslane]], 2010
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = 
| Builders = [[Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]], England
| Operators = {{navy|United Kingdom}}
| Class before = {{sclass|Resolution|submarine|4}}
| Class after = {{sclass|Dreadnought|submarine|4}}
| Subclasses = 
| Cost = *{{ShipCost|GBR|12.153|b|year=1995|quantity=4|ref=<ref>[http://www.nuclearinfo.org/documents/hndm/hartley.pdf Hartley (PDF)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317122425/http://www.nuclearinfo.org/documents/hndm/hartley.pdf |date=17 March 2012 }} nuclearinfo.org</ref>}} 
*{{ShipCost|GBR|3.03825|b|year=1995|r=2|quantity=1}}
| Built range = 1986–1998
| In service range = 1993–present
| In commission range = 
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 
| Total ships completed = 4
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 4
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships lost = 
| Total ships retired = 
| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = [[Nuclear marine propulsion|Nuclear-powered]] [[ballistic missile submarine]]
| Ship displacement = Submerged: {{convert|15900|t|abbr=on}}
| Ship length = {{convert|149.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|12.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|12|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship power = 
| Ship propulsion = *1 × [[Rolls-Royce PWR#PWR2|Rolls-Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor]],
*2 × [[General Electric Company|GEC]] turbines; {{convert|27500|shp|MW|abbr=on}}
*1 × shaft, [[Pump-jet|pump jet propulsor]]
*2 × auxiliary retractable propulsion motors
*2 × Allen turbo generators&nbsp;(6 MW)
*2 × [[Paxman (engines)|Paxman]] diesel alternators;&nbsp;{{convert|2700|shp|MW|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = Over {{convert|25|knot|km/h mph|lk=in}}, submerged
| Ship range = Limited only by food and mechanical components
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship test depth = 
| Ship complement = 135
| Ship sensors = * [[BAE Systems]] [[SMCS]]
* [[Kelvin Hughes]] Type 1007 I-band navigation radar
* [[Thales Underwater Systems]] Type 2054 composite sonar suite comprising:&nbsp;
** [[Marconi Electronic Systems|Marconi]]/[[Ferranti]] Type 2046 towed array sonar&nbsp;
** Type 2043 hull-mounted active and passive search sonar&nbsp;
** Type 2082 passive intercept and ranging sonar
* [[Pilkington Optronics]] CK51 search [[periscope]]
* Pilkington Optronics CH91 attack periscope
| Ship EW = * Two SSE Mk10 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys
* [[Electronic warfare support measures|RESM]] Racal UAP passive intercept
| Ship armament = * 4 × [[British 21-inch torpedo|21-inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s for: [[Spearfish torpedo|Spearfish]] heavyweight torpedoes
* 16 × ballistic missile tubes for: [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] [[UGM-133 Trident II|Trident II D5]] [[submarine-launched ballistic missile|SLBM]]s with up to 12 [[Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle|MIRVed]] Holbrook Mk-4A (100&nbsp;kt<sub>TNT</sub>) nuclear warheads each
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''''Vanguard'' class''' is a class of [[Nuclear submarine|nuclear-powered]] [[ballistic missile submarine]]s (SSBNs) in service with the [[Royal Navy]].<ref>[https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/the-equipment/submarines/ballistic-submarines/vanguard-ballistic Royal Navy Vanguard class submarine], royalnavy.mod.uk</ref> The class was introduced in 1994 as part of the [[Trident nuclear programme]], and comprises four vessels: {{HMS|Vanguard|S28|2}}, {{HMS|Victorious|S29|2}}, {{HMS|Vigilant|S30|2}} and {{HMS|Vengeance|S31|2}}, built between 1986 and 1999 at [[Barrow-in-Furness]] by [[Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering]], now owned by [[BAE Systems]].<ref name="Janes">''Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004–2005''. Jane's Information Group Limited. p. 794. {{ISBN|0-7106-2623-1}}.</ref> All four boats are based at [[HMNB Clyde|HM Naval Base Clyde (HMS ''Neptune'')]], {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of [[Glasgow]], Scotland.

Since the decommissioning of the [[Royal Air Force]] [[WE.177]] free-fall [[thermonuclear weapon]]s during March 1998, the four ''Vanguard'' submarines are the sole [[Weapons platform|platforms]] for the [[Nuclear weapons and the United Kingdom|United Kingdom's nuclear weapons]].<ref name="strategicdefencereview">[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121026065214/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/65F3D7AC-4340-4119-93A2-20825848E50E/0/sdr1998_complete.pdf Strategic Defence Review] [[White Paper]] of July 1998, published by [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|National Archives]] – re-access made 2020-03-09</ref> Each submarine is armed with up to 16 [[UGM-133 Trident II]] [[Submarine-launched ballistic missile|missiles]]. The class is scheduled to be replaced starting in the early 2030s with the [[Dreadnought-class submarine|''Dreadnought''-class]] submarine.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://www.itv.com/news/2016-07-18/everything-you-need-to-know-about-trident-britains-nuclear-deterrent/ |title=Everything you need to know about Trident – Britain's nuclear deterrent |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=18 July 2016 |website=ITV News |publisher=ITV plc |access-date=20 July 2016 |quote=The £40 billion construction of a new fleet, Successor, could begin this year and be operational by 2028, however it will more than likely be at a later date given the MoD's complex procurement procedures. while the current fleet will be phased out by 2032.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=BAE Systems to begin building new British nuclear submarines|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-defence-idUSL8N1C709W|access-date=1 October 2016|work=Reuters|date=1 October 2016}}</ref>