Navy News JULY 1994 i Britain's Trident missile breaks surface for the first time and (right) HMS Victorious arrives at the Clyde Submarine Base.
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Trident's a rising star FIRST FIRING of a British Trident missile from HM submarine Vanguard was foremost in a trio of milestones in the progress of the United Kingdom's new deterrent. Defence Secretary Malcolm Rifkind was on board Vanguard for the successful launch of the unarmed Trident II in the USA's Eastern Range off Florida. The firing — the first of two successful launches — took place as part of the submarine's Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO), the purpose of which is to show that each of Vanguard's two crews has the required ability to
safely handle, maintain and operate the strategic weapon system. Carried out under the command of Capt David Russell, the launch was hailed by Mr Rifkind as "a visible demonstration of the effectiveness of the UK's future independent strategic nuclear deterrent."
Vengeance Meanwhile the second of Britain's trident submarines, HMS Victorious, arrive at Faslane to start an extensive programme of trials before being formally accepted by the Royal Navy from her makers, VSEL. At the time of the Trident launch
it was announced by the Ministry of Defence that the fourth and last boat of the class would be named HMS Vengeance. She will follow HMS Vigilant into service. In the Royal Navy the name dates from 1758. Curiously, the last ship of the name is still in service — in Brazil as the Minas Gerais. A Colossus-class aircraft carrier, she was commissioned in 1945 and loaned to the Royal Australian Navy from 1953-55 before being sold to the Brazilians in 1956. In RN service she followed six ships named Vengeance, including a First World War battleship.
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READ all about it — youngest crew members of HMS Invincible! Wren (OM) Sally Chaplin and STD Luke Bird at Navy News's 40th birthday hosted by the Portsmouth-based carrier last month. See centre pages.
FREE D-DAY SOUVENIR Part 3 MUSEUM 'CARRIER9 page 21
BRITANNIA will cease to rule the waves in 1997. The Royal Yacht is to be decommissioned after more than 40 years of service and over a million miles at sea. Making the announcement, Defence Secretary Malcolm Rifkind praised the "outstanding contribution" made by the Royal Navy's oldest active vessel. He said it reflected the great care and professionalism which the Royal Navy and, in particular, the Royal Yacht's successive ship's companies had devoted to
her. The original decision to build HMY Britannia was taken in 1938. She was to be a vessel fit to carry a King Emperor to his colonies and dominions. Now the Government is to consider the question of whether to replace her at all. Mr Rifkind said, "The Queen has made it known that in the light of changes in the pattern of Royal visits
since the Yacht was built she does not consider a Royal Yacht to be necessary in future solely for the purposes of royal travel. "Nonetheless, in view of the success of Britannia in her representational role during state visits, and on other state occasions, and of the part played by the Royal Yacht in trade promotion, the Government believes it right to consider, w i t h o u t commitment, whether there should be a replacement at some future point, together with other options for meeting the tasks presently fulfilled by Britannia." Feelings at Westminster vary enormously. Mr Barry Field, Tory MP for
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the Isle of Wight, claimed "Britain without Britannia is like the Tower without the Crown Jewels". While Mr Alan Williams, Swansea West's Labour MP, said, "At a time when we arc cutting defence expenditure and axing hospital beds, the idea of a replacement for Britannia would • Turn to back page
HMY Britannia in the Solent during the D-Day Review of Embarked Veterans. It was her last task before the decommissioning announcement was made.