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This is the older
of the two classes of Fleet submarines, the more recent
Trafalgar class is the other.
This class first
entered service in 1973 although the later boats did not
enter until the 1980s. They are all nuclear attack
submarines (SSN) who may operate either individually or in
support of a fleet.
Three of this class
of vessels (HM/S Superb, Spartan and Splendid) were sent to
the Falkland's war although they were not responsible for
the sinking of the General Belgrano which was accomplished
by then Commander Wreford-Brown in HM/S Conqueror, another
SSN although of the earlier Valiant class SSN. It is
interesting to note that the submarines were not under the
command of Admiral Woodward, but operated under the command
of FOSM and C-in-C, Fleet at HMS Northwood.
Some argue that
this was a mistake and that all vessels should be under the
control of the Task Group commander, but there are
advantages in having the SSNs operating under a different
commander. However, where command is split, there is an
increased danger that there would be a "blue-on-blue"
("friendly fire") incident. This was perhaps not
as dangerous in the Falklands war where Argentina had a
limited number of much-older submarines, but in modern
conflicts where there could be equivalent SSNs in the same
area, there must be a real danger that ASW vessels operating
under the surface flag officer may attack a "friendly"
submarine. That said, even if they operated under the same
commander, such risks remain because the very role of a
submarine is to remain silent and invisible: thus, the
amount of communication as to exact positioning etc. would
be limited.
Although this class
of vessels is now quite old, several refits have extended
their operational life, and they are still considered to be
very capable vessels, although whether this is for a
hunter-killer (SSN to SSN) role or as an ASV or land-attack
role, is open to much speculation. Certainly this class of
vessels have had a land-attack role thrust upon them by the
retro-fitting of TLAM.
In 1999, HM/S
Splendid became the first Royal Navy submarine, and indeed
the first non-American warship, to be fitted with the
Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. (TLAM). In doing this HM/S
Splendid joined the (small) list of ships who are the
subject of documentaries, when the BBC filmed a series on
HM/S Splendid leading up to the time of the firing of the
first Tomahawk missile.
The addition of
TLAM to the fleet is of great significance. TLAM is a very
powerful and modern weapon which enables land-targets to be
attacked from a considerable distance away. TLAM is often
referred to as one of the "surgical" weapons
although this is to some degree a contradiction in terms: no
weapon is a "surgical weapon", any weapon has the
potential to cause huge collateral damage. It is easy to
talk about the weapon hitting a target within a few metres,
but when one takes into account the blast-damage that such a
strike entails, it does not appear so-clinical. This is not
to say that modern weapons do not minimise collateral damage,
because clearly they do, but the media tend to
over-glamorise such weapons and make people forget that war
is a nasty business.
HM/S Splendid was
also the first Royal Navy submarine to fire a TLAM in anger,
when in 1999 she was called to the gulf to support UN/NATO
operations against Iraq when the latter broke the conditions
of its previous surrender.
The SSN has four
primary roles: ASW has been discussed briefly, ASV warfare
is dealt with via either the vessel's torpedoes or the
sub-harpoon missile, which is a very capable weapon. Land
Attack warfare was discussed above, which leaves its final
role: that of a minelayer.
The Royal Navy does
not have any dedicated minelayers, although its fleet
submarines and its Castle-class offshore patrol vessels are
capable of deploying them. To some degree a submarine is one
of the ideal vessels to deploy mines as mines are generally
used at the beginning of a conflict. A submarine would be
able to silently approach the area to be mined, release its
weapons and escape. The alternative to using an SSN would be
to use an aircraft. There is still a need for mines in
modern naval warfare: deploying mines, (and clearing them
depending which side you are on) since mines can be vital to
control the sea, which can have an impact on the rest of the
conflict. Mines may prevent enemy vessels, for example,
coming to attack the fleet.
The SSN is one of
the more valuable vessels in the Royal Navy fleet, and the
Swiftsure class is still a formidable vessel. However, the
class is starting to show its age and there would be
disadvantages in sending a vessel as old as a Swiftsure
class against certain countries who have sophisticated ASW
systems. However the number of potentially hostile countries
with such equipment is relatively small. The class will be
replaced over the next decade by the Astute class SSN.
Sources: Royal
Navy |
