HMS Sovereign (S108)

In 1976, Sovereign played a role in Operation Brisk; the submarine surfaced at the geographical North Pole on 20 October 1976 as part of the exercise, testing navigational systems and equipment performance in low temperatures.HMS Sovereign actually surfaced on 21 October 1976 about halfway between the Geographic North Pole and the northern tip of Ellesmere island.Brisk was a coordinated operation between the Royal Navy and the Canadian Forces Maritime Proving & Evaluation Unit (MP&EU) from CFB Summerside, Prince Edward Island.MP&EU was in a six-year project of evaluating airborne remote sensing devices including a SLAR, ILRS and a Laser Profilometer which were all used to do imaging during Sovereign's through-ice surfacing.Cracks were discovered in the tailshaft during post-refit sea trials and she was sent to Rosyth for 14 weeks of emergency repairs in June 1998 before returning to Faslane.
Sovereign of the SeasHMS Royal SovereignVickersPennant numberSwiftsure-classsubmarine21 in (533 mm)Spearfish torpedoesHarpoon missilesTomahawk cruise missilesRoyal NavyNorth PoleEllesmere islandCanadian ForcesCFB SummersideRosythFaslaneSubmarine Command CourseexerciseBay of BiscaySwiftsure-class submarinesSwiftsureSuperbSceptreSpartanSplendidChurchill classTrafalgar classList of submarines of the Royal NavyList of submarine classes of the Royal Navy