Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
HMS Warspite (S103)
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| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 4,200 tons surfaced, 4,900 tons dived |
| Length: | 285.7 ft (87 m) |
| Beam: | 33.3 ft (10.1 m) |
| Draught: | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Propulsion: | One Rolls Royce Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR), two English Electric steam turbines, one shaft, 15000 hp (11 MW), one Paxman diesel-electric generator |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h) surfaced, 28 knots (52 km/h) dived |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 116 |
| Armament: | 6 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (All located at the bow. 24 torpedoes in total)
Was later equipped with Harpoon |
The latest HMS Warspite was the third of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the second (and final) of the Valiant class. She was launched on 25 September 1965 by the wife of the then British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, and entered service 18 April 1967.
She suffered a serious fire whilst in Liverpool, England, 2 May 1976 caused by a broken coupling spraying oil. Repairs and refitting took two years. She subsequently took part in the Falklands War, and was decomissioned in 1991 following the discovery of hairline cracks in the primary coolant circuit during a refit. Her hull and reactor are currently laid up afloat at Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devonshire until facilities are available for the long term storage of her radioactive components.
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