Triton-class submarine
 Triton Class
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Triton Class Attack Submarine |
| Builders: | Arthuristan Dynamics Vickers Armstrong |
| Operators: | Commonwealth Navy, Royal Afalian Navy |
| Preceded by: | Triumphant-class submarine |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Attack Submarine |
| Displacement: | 6,100 tonnes surfaced, 7,000 tonnes submerged |
| Length: | 112m |
| Beam: | 10m |
| Draught: | 9.5m |
| Installed power: | Arthuristan Dynamics SP-1 reactor (30MW), MTU 600 kilowatt diesel generator, Arthuristan Dynamics SPJ-1 pump jet |
| Speed: | 30-35kn submerged (publicly disclosed figure) |
| Range: | Theoretically unlimited |
| Test depth: | 300m (publicly disclosed figure) |
| Capacity: | 120 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | As of the 2010s: Thales Sonar 2076, Atlas DESO 25 echosounder, 2 x Thales CM010 optronic masts |
| Armament: |
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The Triton-class is a class of nuclear powered attack submarine in service with the Commonwealth Navy, conceived as a replacement for the Triumphant class. The first boat and class-namer, HHS Triton, entered service in February 1987.
The Triton Class submarine was originally designed for a much higher performance envelope, faster and deeper-diving than the current configuration. Later, the Triton developed a more well-rounded, multirole mission profile, being armed with vertical launch systems for land attack cruise missiles. It is slower, though not to a significant margin - its publicly stated top speed is 30 knots submerged, although it is an open secret that it can accelerate to more than 32-35 knots (the Xiphos can attain speeds of nearly 40 knots). Its sensors array includes a spherical bow sonar, six wide aperture arrays at the flanks and two towed arrays, information from all of which are fed into an integrated fire control system. Its surface is is covered with an array of acoustic tiles which, together with its pump jet propulsion (rather than traditional screws) making it one of the most silent submarines in service for its size and cost.
The class underwent a series of major overhauls between 2002-2010, fitting a new sonar system, improved integrated fire control system, EW system and optronic mast. The Triton 2.0 program, which includes a production run of nine new boats as well as new technology which would be retrofitted to older vessels as mid-life upgrades beginning in 2020, will replace its twelve VLS cells with V100 heavy launch tubes from the Commonwealth Navy's Zeus Class missile submarines, with each tube capable of being 'hexa-packed' with six subsonic or supersonic long range cruise missiles. Existing boats will be fitted with two each, while new-builds, with a slightly stretched forward section, will receive four.