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A Royal Navy submarine armed with Trident nuclear weapons has recently returned to its Scottish base after completing a record-setting submerged patrol lasting 217 days. HMS Vengeance, staffed by a crew of 140 personnel, departed from Faslane near Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, on April 12 and remained underwater for the entire duration, operating in near-total isolation.
The return of the submarine marked the longest deployment at sea for any British naval vessel. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting was present at HM Naval Base Clyde to welcome the crew home. In recent years, the usual patrol length for the UK’s Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines has more than doubled, with six-month patrols now commonplace, driven largely by a shortage of operational submarines. Earlier, HMS Vengeance was spotted moving up Gare Loch, escorted by smaller support ships and tugboats, its hull covered in marine growth with some sound-absorbing tiles missing.
The vessel’s delayed return was reportedly due to a technical fault on the submarine meant to relieve it, forcing that replacement boat to return to port for repairs. At a recent conference in Oslo, First Sea Lord Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins commended the professionalism and commitment of the submarine crews, while also urging improvements in fleet maintenance. Streeting expressed his concern about the extended durations submariners are being asked to serve and praised their dedication, emphasizing the pride the nation holds in its submariners and nuclear deterrent capabilities.
Since 1969, the UK has continually maintained at least one ballistic missile-equipped submarine at sea to uphold its nuclear deterrent strategy. This approach is based on mutually-assured destruction: if Britain were attacked with nuclear weapons, it could retaliate decisively. The four Vanguard-class subs, each 492 feet long, can carry up to 16 Trident missiles. These missiles are capable of delivering multiple warheads with explosive power many times greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
To avoid detection, these submarines remain submerged and maintain radio silence throughout their patrols, though they can receive encrypted messages through specialized communications systems when operating at shallower depths. Crew members have very limited contact with loved ones, receiving weekly “Familygram” messages capped at 120 words, which they are not allowed to respond to. The messages are carefully screened, and bad news from home may be withheld to avoid undermining a crew member’s effectiveness. Life aboard is highly regimented, with shift patterns typically involving six hours on duty followed by six hours off, and sleeping quarters often crowded with up to nine people in narrow bunks.
Returning submariners reportedly find the outside world intensely different, experiencing strange smells after months of breathing filtered air and altered spatial perception from long confinement. As a result, they are advised to avoid driving for several days after disembarking to readjust.
Commissioned during the 1990s, the Vanguard-class submarines were initially expected to remain in service for 25 years, but their operational life is now extended to approximately 40 years. They are set to be succeeded by the Dreadnought-class submarines, with the replacement program currently “on track,” according to Streeting. Historically, patrols lasted around three months, but recent years have seen them extend beyond six months due to some vessels undergoing lengthy repairs or maintenance. For example, HMS Vanguard underwent a seven-year overhaul at Devonport Dockyard before rejoining the fleet in 2022.
Currently, HMS Victorious is undergoing an extensive £560 million maintenance program started in 2023, limiting the number of operational submarines to Vengeance, Vigilant, and Vanguard. The previous record for a continuous Royal Navy underwater patrol was held by HMS Vanguard itself, which completed a 205-day mission in April. While the patrol durations of submarines from other countries like Russia and China remain undisclosed, it is generally believed that most navies conduct much shorter missions
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