HMS Superb (S109)
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | 20 May 1970 |
| Laid down: | 16 March 1972 |
| Launched: | 30 November 1974 |
| Commissioned: | 13 November 1976 |
| Decommissioned: | |
| Fate: | Active in service as of 2007. |
| Struck: | |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 4,900 tonnes (dived) |
| Length: | 82.9 m |
| Beam: | 9.8 m |
| Draught: | 8.5 m |
| Propulsion: | |
| Speed: | |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 116 |
| Armament: | 5 tubes capable of firing: Spearfish Torpedoes |
| Motto: with strength and courage | |
HMS Superb (S109) is a nuclear powered submarine of the Swiftsure class serving in the Royal Navy. HMS Superb was launched on February 17, 1973 at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The boat was built by Vickers Shipbuilding Groups, now a division of BAE Systems.
Since being commissioned into the Royal Navy on July 11, 1974, Superb has been involved in many operations through out the world. She was the first British submarine to visit the Arctic Ocean and sail under the polar ice caps.
During the Falklands War, Superb was spotted sailing from Gibraltar, which promoted press speculation that she was sailing to the South Atlantic to enforce a maritime exclusion zone. In fact, only HMS Spartan was sailing south at that time. However the British encouraged this speculation to put pressure on the Argentine Navy.
In support of the war against terror in 2001, HMS Superb operated in the Indian Ocean.
Superb's official crest depicts a heraldic lion with an anchor superimposed. This was the family crest of Sir Richard Keats who commanded a previous vessel of the name during the Napoleonic wars. However, throughout the Navy she is known as Super B, and there is an unofficial crest depicting a superhero bumblebee.
Currently Superb is undergoing tests on her motor generators which when fixed will enable her to get back to sea some time in the middle of 2006. Her current CO Cdr Nick Hibberd was the first officer to get Superb to sea in over 4 years when they put to sea in July of 2005.
On 2 July 2006, Superb arrived in Gibraltar for a rest period for her crew. Even though the stay is expected to be brief, it caused protests from Spain.
See HMS Superb for other ships of the same name.
| Swiftsure-class submarine |
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Swiftsure | Sovereign | Superb | Sceptre | Spartan | Splendid |
| List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy |
