Editing Trafalgar-class submarine (section)

==Development==
The ''Trafalgar'' class were designed in the early 1970s during the [[Cold War]] as a refinement of the preceding ''Swiftsure'' class. Including {{HMS|Dreadnought|S101|6}}, the ''Trafalgar'' class are the fifth class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines to enter service with the Royal Navy. The first of the class, HMS ''Trafalgar'', was ordered on 7 April 1977 and completed in 1983. The last, HMS ''Triumph'', was ordered on 3 January 1986 and completed in 1991. All seven boats of the class were built and completed by [[Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering]] at the [[Barrow-in-Furness]] shipyard.

In 1982, ''Jane's Fighting Ships'' recorded: "Estimated cost of fourth submarine £175 million including equipment and weapon system when fitted." In 1986, ''Jane's Fighting Ships'' recorded that the average cost for this class was £200 million at 1984–85 prices.<ref name="Ref_f">''Jane's Fighting Ships, 1986–87''.</ref>

===Potential export===
In 1987, the Canadian White Paper on Defence recommended the purchase of 10 to 12 {{sclass|Rubis|submarine|5}}- or ''Trafalgar''-class submarines under technology transfer,<ref>{{cite book |title=Challenge and Commitment: A Defence Policy for Canada |year=1987 |publisher=[[Department of National Defence (Canada)]] |location=Ottawa |isbn=0-660-12509-9 |pages=52–54 |url=http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/dn-nd/D2-73-1987-eng.pdf |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> with the choice of the type of submarine due to be confirmed before summer 1988.<ref>{{cite book |title=Defence Update 1988–89 |year=1989 |publisher=[[Department of National Defence (Canada)]] |location=Ottawa |isbn=0-662-55733-6 |url=http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/dn-nd/D3-11-1989-eng.pdf |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref> The goal was to build up a three-ocean navy and to assert Canadian sovereignty over Arctic waters.<ref>{{cite news |title=Canada's Arctic claims |author=Keith Spicer |newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]] |date=10 September 2007 |url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=06b557bc-bbc0-4543-90e3-4da70001bef6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127073729/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=06b557bc-bbc0-4543-90e3-4da70001bef6 |archive-date=27 January 2015  }}</ref> The purchase was abandoned in April 1989 due to a growing budget deficit.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 1989 |title=Canada Canceling Plans to Purchase Atom Submarines |work=The New York Times |pages=1}}</ref> 

===Operational service===
The submarines of the class have seen service in a wide range of locations, most notably firing [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk]] land-attack cruise missiles in anger at targets during conflicts in [[Operation Veritas|Afghanistan]], [[Operation Telic|Iraq]] and [[Operation Ellamy|Libya]]. Three of the ''Trafalgar''-class boats have been involved in such operations. In 2001 ''Trafalgar'' took part in [[Operation Veritas]], the attack on Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces following the [[September 11 attacks]] in the United States, becoming the first Royal Navy submarine to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles against [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Trafalgar Returns: Nuclear powered submarine HMS Trafalgar returned home to Devonport today following involvement in the war against terror|url=http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/News/afghan9.htm|access-date=4 August 2016|date=1 March 2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929123544/http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/News/afghan9.htm|archive-date=29 September 2007 |work=btinternet.com}}{{unreliable source?|date=June 2021}}</ref> During April 2003, HMS ''Turbulent'' returned home flying the [[Use of the Jolly Roger by submarines|Jolly Roger]] after having launched thirty Tomahawk cruise missiles during the invasion of Iraq.<ref>{{cite web|title=HMS Turbulent: Royal Navy Trafalgar-class submarine|url=http://www.hmforces.co.uk/education/articles/1444-hms-turbulent-trafalgar-class|website=www.hmforces.co.uk|url-status=dead|access-date=21 February 2012|archive-date=20 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320140238/http://www.hmforces.co.uk/education/articles/1444-hms-turbulent-trafalgar-class}}</ref> As part of the [[2011 military intervention in Libya]], HMS ''Triumph'' fired her Tomahawk cruise missiles on three occasions; first on 19 March,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/20/air-strikes-clear-skies|title=Air strikes clear the skies but leave endgame uncertain |access-date=21 March 2010 |first=Nick |last=Hopkins |date=20 March 2011|newspaper=The Guardian |location=London }}</ref> then again on 20 March,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1121-missiles-target-libyan-air-defences.aspx |title=Missiles target Libyan air defences |access-date=23 March 2010 |date=21 March 2011 |publisher=[[Navy News]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324151148/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1121-missiles-target-libyan-air-defences.aspx |archive-date=24 March 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1123-royal-navy-blockade-forces-gaddafis-gunboats-off-the-ocean.aspx |url-status=dead |title=Royal Navy blockade forces Gaddafi's gunboats off the ocean |work=Navy News |date=23 March 2011 |access-date=21 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326061530/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1123-royal-navy-blockade-forces-gaddafis-gunboats-off-the-ocean.aspx |archive-date=26 March 2011 }}</ref> and finally on 24 March.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12845016 | work=BBC News | title=Libya action: More UK missiles target defences | date=24 March 2011}}</ref> Her primary targets were Libyan air-defence installations around the city of [[Sabha, Libya|Sabha]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1140-top-bombing-pulverises-gaddafis-ammo-bunkers.aspx |url-status=dead |title=Top bombing pulverises Gaddafi's ammo bunkers |work=Navy News |date=1 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404111430/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1140-top-bombing-pulverises-gaddafis-ammo-bunkers.aspx |archive-date=4 April 2011}}</ref> ''Triumph'' returned to Devonport on 3 April 2011 flying a Jolly Roger adorned with six small Tomahawk axes to indicate the missiles fired by the submarine in the operation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1142-home-in-triumph-submariners-mark-successful-libyan-mission.aspx |url-status=dead |title=Home in Triumph – submariners mark successful Libyan mission |work=Navy News |date=4 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407115123/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1142-home-in-triumph-submariners-mark-successful-libyan-mission.aspx |archive-date=7 April 2011 }}</ref>

In 1993 ''Triumph'' sailed to Australia, covering a distance of {{convert|41000|mi|km|adj=off}} whilst submerged and without any forward support. As of 2011, this still remained the longest solo deployment by any British nuclear submarine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/HmsTriumphReturnsFromLibyaOperations.htm|title=HMS Triumph returns from Libya operations |publisher=Ministry of Defence |date=4 April 2011 |access-date=19 December 2014 }}</ref>

===Service problems===
In 1998, ''Trenchant'' experienced a steam leak, forcing the crew to shut down the nuclear reactor. In 2000 a leak in the [[Rolls-Royce PWR|PWR1]] reactor primary cooling circuit was discovered on ''Tireless'', forcing her to proceed to [[Gibraltar]] on diesel power.<ref name=large-2005>{{Cite web | url=http://www.largeassociates.com/TirelessKurskForensic.pdf | title=Forensic Assessments of the Nuclear Propulsion Plants of the Submarines HMS Tireless and RF Northern Fleet Kursk | first=John H. |last=Large | author-link=John H. Large | publisher=Institution of Mechanical Engineers seminar: Forensic Investigation of Power Plant Failures | access-date=2007-03-22 | date=March 2005 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034246/http://www.largeassociates.com/TirelessKurskForensic.pdf | archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> The fault was found to be due to thermal fatigue cracks, requiring the other ''Trafalgar''-class boats, and some of the remaining ''Swiftsure''-class boats, to be urgently inspected and if necessary modified.<ref name=large-2005 />

In 2013 the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator reported that the reactor systems were suffering increasing technical problems due to ageing, requiring effective management. An example was that ''Tireless'' had had a small radioactive coolant leak for eight days in February 2013.<ref name=guardian-20130804>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/04/ageing-nuclear-submarines-sailors-report |title=Ageing nuclear submarines could put sailors and public at risk, report warns |first=Rob |last=Edwards |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 August 2013 |access-date=7 August 2013 }}</ref>