View source for HMS Tireless (S88)

{{short description|Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy}}

{{Other ships|HMS Tireless}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Tireless S-88.jpg
|Ship caption=HMS ''Tireless'' (S88) at the North Pole, April 2004
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Tireless''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship owner=
|Ship ordered=5 July 1979
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=6 June 1981
|Ship launched=17 March 1984
|Ship sponsor=Sue Squires
|Ship completed=
|Ship commissioned=5 October 1985
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=19 June 2014
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship homeport=[[HMNB Devonport]], [[Plymouth]]
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]: S88
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=
|Ship status=Decommissioned<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-27915381 HMS Tireless navy submarine ends service at Devonport], bbc.com, 19 June 2014</ref>
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=[[File:HMS Tireless crest.jpg|100px]]
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/The-Fleet/Submarines/Fleet-Submarines/Trafalgar-Class |title=Trafalgar Class |publisher=Royal Navy |access-date=31 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429195310/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/The-Fleet/Submarines/Fleet-Submarines/Trafalgar-Class |archive-date=29 April 2014 }}</ref>
|Ship class={{sclass|Trafalgar|submarine|1}}
|Ship type=
|Ship displacement=
* Surfaced: 4,500 to {{convert|4,800|t|abbr=on}}<ref name="Steve Bush 2014">{{cite book|last=Bush|first=Steve|title=British Warships and Auxiliaries|year=2014|publisher=Maritime Books|page=12 |isbn=978-1904459552}}</ref>
* Submerged: 5,200 to {{convert|5,300|t|abbr=on}}<ref name="Steve Bush 2014"/>
|Ship length={{convert|85.4|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="Steve Bush 2014"/>
|Ship beam={{convert|9.8|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="Steve Bush 2014"/>
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{convert|9.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="Steve Bush 2014"/>
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=
*1 × [[Rolls-Royce PWR|Rolls-Royce PWR1]] [[nuclear reactor]], [[highly enriched uranium|HEU]] 93.5%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fissilematerials.org/blog/2020/04/us_study_of_reactor_and_f.html |title=US study of reactor and fuel types to enable naval reactors to shift from HEU fuel |publisher=International Panel on Fissile Missiles |date=10 April 2020 |access-date=24 May 2022}}</ref>
*2 × [[General Electric Company|GEC]] steam turbines
*2 × WH Allen turbo generators; 3.2 MW
*2 × [[Paxman (engines)|Paxman]] diesel generators {{convert|2800|shp|MW|abbr=on}}
*1 × [[Pump-jet|pump jet propulsor]]
*1 × motor for emergency drive
*1 × auxiliary retractable prop

|Ship speed=Over {{convert|30|kn|km/h|lk=in}}, submerged<ref name="Steve Bush 2014"/>
|Ship range=Unlimited<ref name="Steve Bush 2014"/>
|Ship test depth=
|Ship complement=130<ref name="Steve Bush 2014"/>
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
* 2 × SSE Mk8 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys
* RESM Racal UAP passive intercept
* CESM Outfit CXA
* SAWCS decoys carried from 2002
|Ship armament=
*5 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes with stowage for up to 30 weapons:
** [[Tomahawk (missile)|Tomahawk]] Block IV cruise missiles
** [[Spearfish torpedo|Spearfish]] heavyweight torpedoes


|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Tireless''''' was the third {{sclass|Trafalgar|submarine|0}} [[nuclear submarine]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. ''Tireless'' is the second submarine of the Royal Navy to bear this name. [[ship naming and launching|Launched]] in March 1984, ''Tireless'' was sponsored by Sue Squires, wife of Admiral 'Tubby' Squires, and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] in October 1985.

During the [[Cold War]] ''Tireless'' was primarily involved in [[anti-submarine warfare]] patrols in the [[Atlantic Ocean]].<ref name="leaves-service">{{cite web | url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2014/june/19/140619-tireless-leaves-service | title=HMS Tireless leaves active service | publisher=Royal Navy | date=19 June 2014 | access-date=21 June 2014}}</ref> After the Cold War, ''Tireless'' was deployed around the world, including to the [[Arctic Ocean]], [[Mediterranean Sea]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]. At the end of its career, ''Tireless'' was involved in the search for the missing airliner, [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 370]]. The vessel experienced a number of serious accidents during its operational life.

''Tireless'' had been scheduled for retirement during 2013, but its service was extended until eventual  decommissioning on 19 June 2014. ''Tireless'' was replaced on active duty by [[HMS Artful (S121)|HMS ''Artful'']].<ref name=Retirement05>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/2005/mar/14/royal-navy-trafalgar-class-submarines Hansard HL Deb 14 March 2005 vol 670 c116WA] quoted in [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmdfence/59/5905.htm ''House of Commons Defence Committee - Fourth Report'', 12 Dec 2006]</ref><ref name="leaves-service" />

==Operational history==
From commissioning in 1985, ''Tireless'' completed numerous exercises and visits around the world, including a trip to the [[Arctic]] in 1991, before entering  a refit in early 1996, returning to sea in 1999.
[[File:US Navy 070316-N-7179R-001 Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless (S88) surfaces in the arctic ice.jpg|left|thumb|''Tireless'' surfaces in arctic ice, 2007 during ICEX-07]]

===Primary coolant leak===
In May 2000, ''Tireless'' developed a serious leak in the nuclear reactor primary cooling circuit, although there was no leak of radioactive material. The nuclear propulsion system was shut down and using backup diesel power ''Tireless'' made way to [[Gibraltar]]. The damage was found to be more extensive than first thought, and the boat remained there pending repairs. This created diplomatic tension between [[Spain]] and [[United Kingdom|Britain]], until the submarine departed on 7 May 2001 after almost a year of extensive repairwork.<ref name="largeassociates">{{citation | url=http://www.largeassociates.com/TirelessKurskForensic.pdf | title=Forensic Assessments of the Nuclear Propulsion Plants of the Submarines HMS Tireless and RF Northern Fleet Kursk | author=John H. Large | author-link=John H. Large | publisher=Institution of Mechanical Engineers seminar: Forensic Investigation of Power Plant Failures | access-date=22 March 2007 | date=March 2005 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034246/http://www.largeassociates.com/TirelessKurskForensic.pdf | archive-date=27 September 2007 | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="bbc1317133">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1317133.stm |title=Nuclear sub leaves Gibraltar | date=7 May 2001 |publisher=BBC News| access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> During that year, all {{sclass|Trafalgar|submarine|1}}s were inspected for similar problems.

===Collision with iceberg===
On 13 May 2003, while on exercise in the [[Arctic]] and travelling at a depth of 60 metres, ''Tireless'' collided with an iceberg. There was no prior warning of the impending collision from passive [[sonar]] or other onboard sensors. The submarine's bow was forced down nine degrees and the vessel subsequently broke free of the iceberg at a depth of 78 metres. Some damage was sustained to the upper section of the boat. Before the incident, the Royal Navy had not conducted under-ice operations since 1996.<ref>{{cite web|author=Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101102/text/101102w0001.htm#10110298000032 |title=House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 02 Nov 2010 (pt 0001) |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk |access-date=31 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C762975E-6E2E-43A0-9B6D-901125D84878/0/summary_tireless_boi.pdf |title=Summary - BOI into the Collison of HMS Tireless on 13 May 2003 |access-date=31 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210074748/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C762975E-6E2E-43A0-9B6D-901125D84878/0/summary_tireless_boi.pdf |archive-date=10 December 2008 }}</ref>

On 19 April 2004, ''Tireless'' and {{USS|Hampton|SSN-767|6}} rendezvoused under the Arctic ice and surfaced together at the [[North Pole]].

''Tireless'' again angered Spain in 2004 when the boat put into Gibraltar from 9 to 15 July for what was explained as "technical reasons." Britain assured Spain that the port call was unrelated to the British celebrations, on 21 July, of the 300th anniversary of Spain handing over Gibraltar to Britain.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/07/09/espana/1089361259.html El 'Tireless' llega a la base naval de Gibraltar pese a las reiteradas protestas del Gobierno español], en diario [[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]] (spanish)</ref>

[[File:APLIS Camp Flags.jpg|thumb|left|Flags from the [[Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station|APLIS]] Camp]]

=== March 2007 explosion ===
In 2007 ''Tireless'' ventured to the North Pole with {{USS|Alexandria|SSN-757|6}} to participate in the [[Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station]] (APLIS). On 21 March, two ''Tireless'' crew members, Leading Weapons Engineer Paul McCann and Weapons Engineer 2 Anthony Huntrod (Weapons Submariner)<ref>{{cite web |last=Kindell |first=Don |title=Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy, 1945-present |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas2000-present.htm |access-date=29 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129033017/http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas2000-present.htm |archive-date=29 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> were killed in an explosion on board, apparently caused by an [[chemical oxygen generator|oxygen generator candle]] in the forward section of the submarine.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Johnson|first1=C. W.|title=Degraded Modes and the 'Culture of Coping' in Military Operations: An Analysis of a Fatal Incident on-board HMS Tireless on 20/21 March 2007|url=http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~johnson/papers/JWSSC2009/Degraded_Modes.pdf}}</ref> The boat was in service near the North Pole under ICEX-07 along with the USS ''Alexandria'' and had to make an emergency surface through the [[ice cap]]. A third crewmember suffered "non life-threatening" injuries and was airlifted to a military hospital at [[Elmendorf Air Force Base]] near [[Anchorage, Alaska]].

According to the Royal Navy, the accident did not affect the submarine's nuclear reactor, and the boat sustained only superficial damage.<ref name="bbc6478127">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6478127.stm |title=Oxygen device sparked sub blast |publisher=BBC News| access-date=22 March 2007|date=22 March 2007}}</ref> Part of the exercise was being used to measure ice thickness by using sonar.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/03/21/uk.submarine/index.html |title=2 sailors killed in UK nuclear submarine accident|access-date=22 March 2007|publisher=CNN }}</ref> The film ''[[Stargate: Continuum]]''—which was filming on the ice and in the ''Alexandria'' during the exercise—was dedicated to McCann and Huntrod.

===2010-2011 deployment===
[[File:HMS Tireless with Ramp.jpg|thumb|''Tireless'' at the North Pole]]
From 9 July 2010 to 12 May 2011, ''Tireless'' undertook a ten-month deployment, spending 253 days at sea, the longest conducted by a Royal Navy submarine in ten years.<ref name="NN">{{cite news|title = Tireless lives up to her name on ten month tour of duty|newspaper = [[Navy News]]|date = May 2011|url = http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1178-tireless-lives-up-to-her-name-on-ten-month-tour-of-duty.aspx}}{{Dead link|date=July 2015}}</ref> During the deployment the boat passed through the [[Suez Canal]] for the first time, provided protection for the French aircraft carrier [[Charles de Gaulle (R91)|''Charles de Gaulle'']] launching aircraft over [[Afghanistan]], and called into the ports of [[Fujairah]] in the United Arab Emirates, [[Goa]] in India and [[Souda Bay]] in Crete. ''Tireless'' was also involved in a multi-nation anti-submarine exercise in the [[Gulf of Oman]] which saw the Australian frigate [[HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05)|HMAS ''Melbourne'']] and the French frigate [[French frigate Dupleix (D641)|FS ''Dupleix'']] attempt to locate the submarine.<ref name="NN" /><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hms-tireless-in-multinational-submarine-exercise|title = HMS Tireless in multinational submarine exercise|publisher = Mod.uk|date = 13 October 2010|access-date = 31 October 2012}}</ref>

===2012 South Atlantic deployment===
In February 2012, it was reported that either ''Tireless'' or [[HMS Turbulent (S87)|HMS ''Turbulent'']] was being deployed to the [[Falkland Islands]] amid increasing tension between [[Argentina]] and the [[United Kingdom]] over sovereignty of the islands.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/04/falkland-islands-nuclear-submarine-sent-by-royal-navy_n_1254190.html|title = Falkland Islands: Nuclear Submarine Sent By Royal Navy To South Atlantic, According To Reports|publisher = Huffingtonpost.co.uk|date = 4 February 2012|access-date = 31 October 2012}}</ref>

However HMS ''Tireless'' surfaced in Southampton in March, conducting [[towed array sonar]] calibration and testing in the [[Bay of Biscay]] before returning to Devonport.

===2013 Coolant leak===
In early 2013 ''Tireless'' experienced a "small coolant leak that was contained within the sealed reactor compartment", requiring a return to [[HMNB Devonport]] for repair.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Devonport-submarine-HMS-Tireless-Plymouth-reactor/story-18190113-detail/story.html|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130505063753/http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Devonport-submarine-HMS-Tireless-Plymouth-reactor/story-18190113-detail/story.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 5 May 2013|title = Devonport submarine HMS Tireless back in Plymouth after reactor coolant leak|newspaper = Plymouth Herald|date = 19 February 2013|access-date = 20 February 2013|first = Rebecca|last = Ricks}}</ref>

===2013 Mediterranean deployment===
''Tireless'' was spotted off the [[Rock of Gibraltar]] amidst the tensions between Spain and the UK over the disputed territory of [[Gibraltar]]. It was suggested that this SSN could be a key vessel used to strike Syria if military action occurred.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23849386 | work=BBC News | title=Syria crisis: Western military options | date=30 August 2013}}</ref>

===2014 Indian Ocean search - Malaysian Airlines flight MH370===
On 1 April 2014, ''Tireless'' arrived in the southern [[Indian Ocean]] to join the search for a missing [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 370|Malaysian airliner]], where its sophisticated underwater listening equipment was used in an unsuccessful attempt to detect the [[underwater locator beacon]] of the aircraft's [[flight recorder]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26845118|title=MH370: UK submarine joins search for missing plane|work=BBC News|date=2 April 2014 }}</ref><ref name="ABC 5361288">[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-02/malaysia-airlines-mh370-search-joined-by-british-submarine/5361288 Malaysia Airlines MH370: Submarine joins search as Malaysian PM Najib Razak arrives to inspect efforts], [[ABC Online]], 2 April 2014</ref>

=== Final return to Plymouth ===

On 1 June 2014 ''Tireless'' returned to Plymouth for the last time before decommissioning,<ref>{{Cite web|title = HMS Tireless returns to Plymouth for the final time before being decommissioned|url = http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/HMS-Tireless-returns-Plymouth-final-time/story-21172846-detail/story.html|access-date = 31 July 2015|date = 2 June 2014|publisher = The Herald|last = Telford|first = William|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924074830/http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/HMS-Tireless-returns-Plymouth-final-time/story-21172846-detail/story.html|archive-date = 24 September 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref> and was formally decommissioned on 19 June.<ref>{{cite web|title=HMS Tireless leaves active service|url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/events/submarines/141019-tireless-decommission|publisher=Royal Navy|access-date=12 July 2014|date=19 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714205402/https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/events/submarines/141019-tireless-decommission|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>

''Tireless''' final operations saw visits to Gibraltar, Crete, India, Jordan, the UAE and Australia.

''Tireless'' was moved in 2020 to a basin within Devonport dockyard often referred to as “the graveyard”.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Tireless (S88)}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140605112640/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/the-fighting-arms/submarine-service/fleet-submarines/trafalgar-class/hms-tireless Royal Navy HMS ''Tireless''] (royalnavy.mod.uk)

{{Trafalgar class submarine}}
{{2003 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tireless (S88)}}
[[Category:Trafalgar-class submarines]]
[[Category:Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness]]
[[Category:1984 ships]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:2000 in Gibraltar]]
[[Category:2001 in Gibraltar]]
[[Category:British submarine accidents]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2007]]
[[Category:Vessels involved in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370]]