UK Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Talent prepares for return to sea

Royal Navy’s Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered submarine HMS Talent has completed a complex and extensive refit and is starting several weeks of training before re-joining the operational fleet.

The sixth of overall seven Trafalgar submarines built for the Royal Navy is returning to sea for the first time since completing a deployment in January 2014.

The successful end of the engineering project at HM Naval Base Devonport in Plymouth was marked by the submarine’s crew celebrating with the formal ceremony of Ship’s Company Divisions.

HMS Talent is due to sail from Plymouth for operational sea training with staff of the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation.

After weeks of tough realistic scenarios preparing her for any eventualities, including combat, HMS Talent and her crew will be declared fit for duties worldwide.

“This maintenance project has presented many challenges, most notably to our technical departments who have been working incredibly hard to get the submarine ready for operations,” Commander Jamie Mitchell, HMS Talent commanding officer, said.

Undertaken by Babcock, the submarine overhaul included capability upgrades enabling the submarine to operate into the next decade and remain one of the world’s most potent military assets.

The submarine’s command team initially achieved a ‘Safe for Sea’ assessment after training on shore in the ‘Talisman’ submarine command team simulator at Devonport.

This realistic environment ensures the crew are safe to operate in busy shipping areas amongst merchant vessels and other and military vessels.

The crew’s ability to launch Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and discharge Spearfish torpedoes against surface and sub-surface targets was also assessed.