Trident submarine back from patrol – but after how long?

A Royal Navy submarine which is thought to been on patrol for three times as long as usual returned to Coulport today.

Scores of family members arrived in four buses arrived at Cove Sailing Club in four buses to wave and welcome their loved ones home after what is thought to have been ten months away.

The hull of the vessel which sailed into Loch Long was visibly more discoloured than normal.

The nuclear-armed Vanguard-class vessels normally undertake three-month tours of duty, and crew on this vessel are thought to be getting compensation payments of £25,000 each.

A Royal Navy spokesperson would not confirm this, but said: “We do not comment on the length of submarine patrols or renumeration details for individuals however, all submariners serving on Vanguard-class submarines receive additional payment on completion of an extended patrol to recognise and compensate for the increased burden placed on them and their loved ones.”

The UK has four Vanguard-class submarines armed with Trident nuclear missiles, which provide continuous at sea deterrence (CASD) and are based at Faslane, each with a crew of 132.

A contract to refit HMS Victorious was awarded to Babcock this summer, and that vessel has been in Plymouth since then.

The first of the Vanguard-class submarines was commissioned in 1993 and their replacement, the Dreadnought class, is due in the early 2030s.