Trafalgar

British submarine class

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

The Trafalgar class was a class of six Royal Navy nuclear-powered attack submarines commissioned between 1983 and 1991. These submarines displaced between 4,000 and 4,500 tons and were approximately 87 meters (285 feet) long. Initially armed with torpedoes and Harpoon missiles, some were later fitted with Tomahawk cruise missiles for land-attack capabilities. As the newer Astute-class submarines entered service, the Trafalgar class began to be decommissioned, starting with the lead boat in 2009.1

The term "Trafalgar" also refers to a significant naval battle in 1805 where the Royal Navy secured a victory against the French, ensuring naval supremacy.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

submarine
Attack submarines
…(six vessels, commissioned 1974–81) and Trafalgar class (six vessels, commissioned 1983–91) displaced between 4,000 and 4,500 tons at the surface and were about 87 metres (285 feet) long. They were originally armed only with torpedoes and dive-launched Harpoon missiles, consistent with their Cold War role of hunting and killing enemy…
Read More
…(six vessels, commissioned 1974–81) and Trafalgar class (six vessels, commissioned 1983–91) displaced between 4,000 and 4,500 tons at the surface and were about 87 metres (285 feet) long. They were originally armed only with torpedoes and dive-launched Harpoon missiles, consistent with their Cold War role of hunting and killing enemy…
Read More