List of submarines of the Royal Navy

This is a list of Royal Navy submarines, arranged chronologically.

Petro-electric submarines

HMS Holland 1, the first submarine to serve in the Royal Navy

A class submarines, the first British-designed class

• Holland class
  • Holland 1, launched: 2 October 1901, decommissioned: 5 November 1913
  • Holland 2
  • Holland 3
  • Holland 4
  • Holland 5
• A class
  • A1, launched: 9 July 1902
  • A2
  • A3
  • A4
  • A5
  • A6
  • A7
  • A8
  • A9
  • A10
  • A11
  • A12
  • A13
• B class
  • 11 boats, 1904–1906
• C class
  • 38 boats, 1906–1910

Pre-Second World War

HMS G9 at Scapa Flow in 1917

HMS M2 with her sea plane

HMS Thorn

• D class
• E class
• F class
• S class
• V class
• W class
• G class
• H class
• J class
• K class
  • HMS K1
  • HMS K2
  • HMS K3
  • HMS K4
  • HMS K5
  • HMS K6
  • HMS K7
  • HMS K8
  • HMS K9
  • HMS K10
  • HMS K11
  • HMS K12
  • HMS K13
  • HMS K14
  • HMS K15
  • HMS K16
  • HMS K17
  • HMS K26
• L class
• M class
  • HMS M1
  • HMS M2
  • HMS M3
  • HMS M4
• Nautilus class
• R class
• HMS X1
• Odin class
• Parthian class
  • HMS Pandora (N42)
  • HMS Parthian (N75)
  • HMS Perseus (N36)
  • HMS Phoenix (N96)
  • HMS Poseidon (P99)
  • HMS Proteus (N29)
• Rainbow class
• S class
• River or Thames class
  • HMS Thames (N71)
  • HMS Severn (N57)
  • HMS Clyde (N12)
• Grampus class
• T class

Second World War to mid-1950s

HMS Alliance at Gosport (where she is now part of the submarine museum) in 1987

HMS Voracious in 1945

• Undine class
• P611 class
  • HMS P614
  • HMS P612
  • HMS P611
  • HMS P615
• Umpire class
• Vampire class
• Amphion class
  • Amphion (P439/S43)
  • Astute (P447)
  • Auriga (P419/S69)
  • Aurochs (P426)
  • Alcide (P415/S65)
  • Alderney (P416/S66)
  • Alliance (P417/S67)
  • Ambush (P418)
  • Anchorite (P422)
  • Andrew (P423/S63)
  • Affray (P421)
  • Aeneas (P427/S72)
  • Alaric (P441)
  • Artemis (P449/S49)
  • Artful (P456/S96)
  • Acheron (P411/S61)
  • Ace (P414)
  • Achates (P433)
• HMS Meteorite - captured experimental U-boat
• Explorer class
  • HMS Explorer
  • HMS Excalibur
• Stickleback class (midget submarines)
  • X51 Stickleback
  • X52 Shrimp
  • X53 Sprat
  • X54 Minnow

late 1950s to late 1980s

From HMS Porpoise Royal Navy submarines were given their own "S" pennant numbers.

A Valiant-class nuclear submarine. Whilst HMS Dreadnought had an American reactor, these were fully British-built

HMS Conqueror returning to Faslane following action in the Falklands War of 1982. She is the only nuclear submarine to have sunk an enemy vessel

HMS Tireless at the North Pole

• Porpoise class (Diesel-electric hunter-killer)
  • Porpoise, commissioned/decommissioned: 1958/1982
  • Narwhal, c/d: 1959/1977
  • Finwhale, c/d: 1960/1987 (harbour service from 1979)
  • Cachalot, c/d: 1959/1979
  • Sealion, c/d: 1961/1987
  • Walrus, c/d: 1961/1986
  • Grampus, c/d: 1958/1978
  • Rorqual, c/d: 1958/1976
• Oberon class (Diesel-electric hunter-killer)
  • Oberon, commissioned/decommissioned: 1961/1986
  • Onslaught, c/d: 1962/1990
  • Orpheus, c/d: 1960/1990 (harbour service from 1987)
  • Odin, c/d: 1962/1990
  • Otter, c/d: 1962/1991
  • Olympus, c/d: 1961/1989
  • Oracle, c/d: 1963/1993
  • Ocelot, c/d: 1964/1991
  • Otus, c/d: 1963/1991
  • Opossum, c/d: 1964/1993
  • Opportune, c/d: 1964/1993
  • Osiris, c/d: 1964/1989
  • Onyx, c/d: 1967/1991
• Dreadnought (Nuclear powered hunter-killer), commissioned/decommissioned: 1963/1980
• Valiant class (Nuclear powered hunter-killer)
  • Valiant, commissioned/decommissioned: 1966/1994
  • Warspite, c/d: 1967/1991
• Resolution class (Nuclear powered ballistic missile)
  • Resolution, commissioned/decommissioned: 1967/1994
  • Repulse, c/d: 1967/1996
  • Renown, c/d: 1967/1996
  • Revenge, c/d: 1969/1992
• Churchill class (Nuclear powered hunter-killer)
  • Churchill, commissioned/decommissioned: 1970/1991
  • Conqueror, c/d: 1971/1990
  • Courageous, c/d: 1971/1992
• Swiftsure class (Nuclear powered hunter-killer)
  • Swiftsure, commissioned/decommissioned: 1973/1992
  • Sovereign, c/d: 1974/2006
  • Superb, c/d: 1976/2008
  • Sceptre, c/d: 1978/2010
  • Spartan, c/d: 1979/2006
  • Splendid, c/d: 1981/2004
• Trafalgar class (Nuclear powered hunter-killer)
  • Trafalgar, commissioned/decommissioned: 1983/2009
  • Turbulent, commissioned: 1984
  • Tireless, commissioned: 1985
  • Torbay, commissioned: 1987
  • Trenchant, commissioned: 1989
  • Talent, commissioned: 1990
  • Triumph, commissioned: 1991

1990s to present

• Upholder class (Diesel-electric hunter-killer)
  • Upholder, commissioned/decommissioned: 1990/1994
  • Unseen, c/d: 1991/1994
  • Ursula, c/d: 1992/1994
  • Unicorn, c/d: 1993/1994

HMS Astute being launched

• Vanguard class (Nuclear powered ballistic missile)
  • Vanguard, commissioned: 1993
  • Victorious, commissioned: 1995
  • Vigilant, commissioned: 1996
  • Vengeance, commissioned: 1999
• Astute class (Nuclear powered hunter-killer)
  • Astute, commissioned: 2010
  • Ambush, launched: 6 January 2011
  • Artful, construction began: 2005
  • Audacious, construction began: 2009
  • Anson, construction began: 2011
  • Agamemnon, on order - long lead procurement activities underway
  • Ajax, order confirmed: 2010
• LR5 manned submersible (for rescue) - leased to the Royal Australian Navy in 2009
• SDV Mk8 Mod 1 - 3 mini-submarines used by the Special Boat Service of the Royal Marines

See also

• List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy
• Royal Navy Submarine Service