Key Points and Summary – In 2015, HMS Talent—a Trafalgar-class attack sub—struck floating ice while tracking Russian submarines, ripping a six-foot hole in her fin and shedding anechoic tiles.
-The Royal Navy said Arctic surfacing is perilous: active sonar risks detection and sensors are geared to look forward, not upward.
Astute-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-Though rumors suggested a submarine collision, officials maintained the damage fit an ice strike. After repairs (circa £500,000),
-Talent returned to duty until 2022.
-The episode highlights the narrow margins of under-ice warfare, where stealth, proximity, and imperfect awareness heighten collision risks—recalling Cold War incidents like HMS Sceptre—and shows how seasoned crews still face unavoidable Arctic hazards.
Submarine HMS Talent vs. the Ice: The Arctic Collision Britain Couldn’t Hide
In 2015, the British hunter-killer submarine HMS Talent collided with floating ice while tracking Russian submarines, causing a significant six-foot hole in its conning tower, according to multiple reports at the time.
Despite the damage, the submarine continued to serve the Royal Navy for seven more years, until its decommissioning in 2022. The incident highlighted the dangers of operating in the Arctic and raised questions about whether the crew prioritized stealth over the use of active sonar.
Royal Navy officials stated at the time that surfacing in the Arctic can be risky because sonar systems, both active and passive, are used to locate objects ahead of the submarines rather than those above them.
The submarine suffered severe damage to the top of its conning tower, ripping a six-foot gash and tearing off several anechoic tiles. The damage was estimated to be in excess of £500,000 to repair.
Rumors at the time suggested that the two submarines had collided, but RN officials insisted that the damage was consistent with hitting an object while attempting to surface.
The HMS Talent Submarine Of The Trafalgar-Class
HMS Talent was the sixth Trafalgar-class submarine constructed in the early 1970s. This was during the height of the Cold War arms race.
The Trafalgar class hunter-killer subs were mainly designed based on the preceding Swiftsure class. HMS Trafalgar, the lead submarine of her class, was completed in 1983, followed by six sister ships.
Akula-Class Submarine from Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Akula-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The UK-based manufacturer Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, later absorbed by BAE Systems, constructed each Trafalgar submarine from start to finish at its Barrow-in-Furness shipyard.
The HMS Talent displaced 4,800 tons while surfaced, and 5,300 tons while submerged. She was 282 feet long, with a beam of 32 feet and a draught of 31 feet.
HMS Talent Propulsion
A Rolls-Royce PWR1 nuclear reactor powered her, HEU 93.5 percent, two GEC steam turbines, two WH Allen turbo generators; 3.2 MW, two Paxman diesel generators 2,800 shp (2.1 MW), a pump jet propulsor, a motor for emergency drive, and an auxiliary retractable prop.
She had a top speed of more than 30 knots (35 mph) while submerged. With her nuclear reactor, her range was unlimited, and she only depended on food stores for the crew of 130 officers and sailors.
Armament for HMS Talent
The Trafalgar-class was equipped with five 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes with stowage for up to 30 weapons.
And depending on mission requirements, the Trafalgar-class hunter-killers carried a mix of Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes.
They carried two SSE Mk8 launchers for Type 2066 and Type 2071 torpedo decoys, a RESM Racal UAP passive intercept, a CESM Outfit CXA, and SAWCS decoys, which were introduced in 2002.
Collision Was A Black Eye For The Royal Navy
Tracking nuclear submarines is a challenging and hazardous task for hunter-killer submarines, as any use of active sonar reveals the hunter’s own position, risking detection and counterattack by the target.
Submarine warfare is a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, requiring stealth and patience to gather intelligence without revealing one’s location, making proximity highly hazardous to successful tracking and engagement.
Vanguard-Class Submarine From Royal Navy. Image Credit: Royal Navy.
Maintaining proximity for tracking increases the risk of accidental collision, especially given the limitations of underwater detection capabilities.
In this one instance, the Royal Navy described it as such: “HMS Talent suffered minor superficial damage after striking some floating ice last year. She remained fully operational and continued with her deployment.”
A Royal Navy official was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying, “Striking ice is a problem of the environment we work in. Some patches of ice appear on our scanners, but not all, with the density of the ice also being a factor. On this occasion, some damage was sustained by HMS Talent.
“A submarine is a very pressured environment, and a lot can go wrong. You’re in a tin can under the sea tracking Russian subs and trying not to get found ourselves. HMS Talent’s captain, helmsman, and her officers will have been making multiple calculations simultaneously and working in very testing conditions.”
Other Collision Nearly Sinks British Submarine
In 1981, the crew of HMS Sceptre was ordered to say they had hit an iceberg after their collision with the Soviet submarine K-211. The Sceptre clipped the Russian missile boat, damaging the rubber sound-dampening anechoic tiles lining the submarine’s stern and damaging its rear hydroplane.
Fragments of metal—undoubtedly from a Western submarine—were embedded in its right screw and had even punctured its rear ballast tank. K-211’s right screw had to be replaced, and its rear stabilizing fin repaired.
Russia blamed the collision on an American submarine, but shortly after, the Sceptre pulled into port to report damage, presumably due to a collision with an iceberg. The truth was kept out of the press for a decade.
The Sceptre suffered a 23-foot gash in the bow from the Soviet propeller, and had the front of the conning tower torn off.
One British sailor recalled the harrowing event. “That tear started about three inches from the forward escape hatch. If that hatch had been hit or damaged—it’s about 2’6″ in diameter—if that had been ruptured, then the fore ends would have shipped water, which would have made the boat very heavy. We would have probably sunk.”
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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