Deputy Prime Minister comes to Clyde for sub's return

Oliver Dowden, and the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, were on hand to greet the Vanguard-class ballistic submarine crew on completion of their silent mission beneath the waves carrying the Trident missile system.

It comes on the 55th year of Operation Relentless, under which a British submarine carrying the nation’s ultimate weapon has patrolled the world’s oceans, unseen, undetected and ready to strike since 1969.

Operation Relentless is the longest sustained military operation ever undertaken by the UK an known as the Continuous at Sea Deterrent.

The Vanguard-class submarine returning to Clyde was waved home by families and has already been replaced on patrol by one of her sister boats.

Deputy PM Mr Dowden, said: "The Continuous At Sea Deterrent is enormously important to the United Kingdom and I am humbled by their service

" I do not underestimate the demands on our people and their families in their commitment to delivering this capability.”

First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said: “It’s a great privilege for me to welcome home the returning Ship’s Company. They have done an exceptional job and I never fail to be impressed by their dedication and professionalism. I also pay immense tribute to their families and thank them for their support.

“We should never underestimate the huge national effort that goes into this endeavour. It is through the commitment of all of those across the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, our industrial partners and across Government that we are now in our 55th year of unbroken deterrent patrols.”

A new class of ballistic submarine – the Dreadnought class – is currently under construction and is expected to replace the Vanguard-class by the 2030s, ushering in a new era of at-sea deterrence.

HMNB Clyde has developed from a military port, established during World War II, and will become the Single Integrated Operating Base (SIOB) – home to the entire UK submarine fleet.