HMS Swiftsure was the lead ship of her class of nuclear fleet submarines built for the Royal Navy.

Swiftsure was ordered on 3 November 1967, as the first of her class, and laid down at Vickers Armstrongs Barrow-in-Furness shipyard on 6 June 1969.

[1][2] Swiftsure became famous for her mission to acquire the acoustic signature of the Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev.

Upon locating a new unique acoustic sound that indicated the Kiev's presence, hid underneath her for several hours, with her raised periscope just 10 feet (3.0 m) under the aircraft carrier's hull, allowing the crew of Swiftsure to take photographs and record the aircraft carrier's acoustic signature.

However, due to an industrial dispute[5] the refit did not begin until April 1980, 15 months after the boat arrived into Devonport.