HMS Turbulent is a retired Trafalgar-classsubmarine of the Royal Navy and the second vessel of her class. Turbulent was the fifth vessel, and second submarine, of the Royal Navy to bear this name. She was built by Vickers Shipbuilding, Barrow-in-Furness, and based at HMNB Devonport. She was commissioned in 1984 and decommissioned in July 2012. She was stripped of equipment and now awaits dismantling in number 3 Basin at Devonport.
Originally intended to hunt down Soviet missile submarines, after the end of the Cold War Turbulent spent more time on intelligence gathering missions and landing commando units, as well as firing Tomahawk missiles during the 2003 Iraq war.[2]
Operational history
Turbulent undertook a modernisation program and first nuclear refuelling in 1997.
2003 War in Iraq
Turbulent took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, firing thirty Tomahawk cruise missiles during the campaign. On 16 April 2003 she was the first Royal Navy vessel to return home from the war. Turbulent arrived in Plymouth flying the Jolly Roger, a tradition in the Royal Navy signifying having fired weapons in anger.[1]
2011 Military Intervention in Libya
Turbulent left Devonport in February 2011 for a 268-day[2] deployment East of Suez, which was due to be her final before decommissioning. The deployment saw her operating in the Gulf of Sidra relieving HMS Triumph as part of the British contribution to the Libya intervention. She was then herself relieved by Triumph, before heading through the Suez Canal in June to take up patrol in the Indian Ocean. The boat called into the port of Fujairah, where she rendezvoused with the support ship RFA Diligence. Turbulent returned to Devonport on 14 December 2011, having spent 190 days of her 267-day deployment underwater and travelling more than 38,000 miles[5][6] A documentary called Royal Navy Submarine Mission on Channel 5 featured Turbulent during this 2011 deployment.[2]
During this deployment, just after sailing from Fujairah on 26 May, Turbulent suffered a catastrophic failure of her air-conditioning systems, while on the surface. Internal temperatures quickly rose to 60 °C with 100% humidity, and caused 26 casualties, mainly from heat exhaustion, eight of which were life-threatening. With ambient temperatures in the Indian Ocean at 42 °C, surface ventilation was ineffective and the submarine was only effectively cooled by diving to 200 metres. The cause was later found to be blockage of water inlet pipes by barnacles during an extended stay at Fujairah. The incident was only made public in 2014.[7][8]
2012 South Atlantic deployment
Turbulent was scheduled to be decommissioned at the end of 2011.[1] In February 2012 it was reported that either Turbulent or HMS Tireless was being deployed to the Falkland Islands amid increasing tension between Argentina and the United Kingdom over sovereignty of the islands.[9] Commander Nick Wheeler took command in December 2011[10] until decommissioning on 14 July 2012.[2] She is now being stripped of equipment and will await dismantling in 3 Basin at Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth.[2]
