RN Submarine School Training Activities

The RNSMS conducts and oversees the following training:

BASIC SUBMARINE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Warfare, Weapon Engineering (WE), Logistics and Medical officers undergo a Basic Warfare Course at the RNSMS in navigation, systems and the use of the periscope. This prepares them to watchkeep in the submarine control room.

Warfare ratings sub-specialising in Tactical Systems, Sonar or Communications and Information Systems, and Weapons Engineering Technicians learn their trade at the school.

CAREER COURSES

Warfare Officers return to the school after their first sea posting for their Intermediate Warfare Course which teaches them to be navigators.  As their careers progress they undergo their Principal Warfare Officer (SM) Course to qualify as a Watchleader controlling the submarine operations at sea.

Weapons Engineering Officers undergo training to become the Deputy WE Officer and then the Charge WE Officer.

The school also provides training for Warfare and Weapons Engineering Ratings to prepare them, for promotion.

SUBMARINE QUALIFICATION (SMQ)

Once fully trained in their specific branches Warfare, Weapons Engineers and Logistics ratings, assigned to the Trafalgar Class submarines, will begin their Submarine Qualification training. The training begins ashore at HMS Drake in Plymouth and completes at sea. Ratings assigned to the Astute or Vanguard Class undertake their training at HMS Neptune in Scotland.

SUMBARINE ESCAPE TRAINING

Safety is paramount on board submarines therefore all submariners must undergo escape training to learn how to operate the equipment and the procedures for evacuation. The training takes place at the Submarine Escape Training Tank (SETT.) in Gosport.

OTHER TRAINING

The RNSMS also trains teams to embark torpedoes and missiles, and how to load them into the torpedo tubes using a full size weapons handling rig which mirrors the equipment found onboard the submarine.

The Submarine School also conducts a limited amount of training for submariners from other countries.