The fleet nuclear submarines: Valiant; Warspite; Churchill; Conqueror; Courageous and Dreadnought were all refitted and refuelled at Chatham Dockyard between 1970-1983. The Swiftsure class HMS Sovereign was also refitted at Chatham. Nine major refits were completed during this period, plus numerous 'mini' refits and 'DED' (Docking and Essential Defects) works. The work was centred on the Nuclear Refitting and Refuelling Complex, based between No. 6 - 7 Docks, which had opened in June 1968. The complex included a ten storey office block and a 120 ton crane. A nuclear store was also built to house over 10,000 items ranging from small pipe joints to reactor covers, needed during the refit process.
The first all British designed nuclear submarine to visit Chatham Dockyard was HMS Valiant in December 1966. She is shown here arriving at No. 6 Dock in 1970 when she became the first nuclear fleet submarine to be refitted at Chatham Dockyard. Her refit began in May 1970 and took two years to complete. Valiant re-commissioned at Chatham in May 1972, later returning for a second refit in 1977. Valiant was finally paid off from naval service in 1994.
By 1975, Chatham Dockyard was the only Dockyard in Britain to undertake the refitting work of two nuclear submarines - Churchill and Dreadnought - at the same time. This was known as 'dual streaming'. In October 1975, the Dockyard even entered into 'triple streaming'; Churchill awaited re-commissioning at the end of the month; Dreadnought remained in refit and Conqueror entered refit for the first time at Chatham.
Image © Chatham Dockyard Historical Society
