HMS Revenge (S27) was the fourth vessel of the Royal Navy's Resolution-class ballistic missile submarines, designed primarily for strategic nuclear deterrence during the Cold War era. Constructed at Cammell Laird’s Birkenhead shipyard, she was laid down on 19 May 1965 and launched on 15 March 1968. Despite delays stemming from performance issues at the shipyard, Revenge was eventually commissioned on 4 December 1969. Measuring 425 feet (129.5 meters) in length overall and 360 feet (109.7 meters) between perpendiculars, the submarine had a beam of 33 feet (10.1 meters) and a draught of 30 feet (9.1 meters). Her displacement was approximately 7,500 long tons (7,600 tonnes) surfaced and 8,500 long tons (8,600 tonnes) submerged. Powered by a Rolls-Royce PWR1 pressurized water reactor, she utilized steam-driven geared turbines rated at 15,000 shaft horsepower, enabling her to reach speeds of 25 knots submerged and 20 knots surfaced. Auxiliary power was supplied by a 4,000 brake horsepower diesel engine. HMS Revenge was armed with sixteen Polaris A3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles arranged in two rows of eight tubes, each capable of delivering three 200-kiloton nuclear warheads with a range of 2,500 nautical miles. Her defensive armament included six 533-millimeter torpedo tubes. The vessel maintained a crew of 143 personnel, divided into two separate crews to maximize operational availability. Following her commissioning, Revenge underwent extensive sea trials and participated in strategic operations, including a notable test firing of a Polaris missile off Florida in June 1970. Decommissioned in 1992, she is now stored at Rosyth Dockyard, awaiting disposal. Periodic maintenance and re-preservation activities occur approximately every 12 years, ensuring her preservation as a significant component of Cold War maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.