After 217 days submerged, Trident submarine returns home from record undersea patrol

A record deployment ends

HMS Vengeance returned to its Scottish base after 217 days submerged. Crew members were seen aboard as the submarine travelled up Gare Loch with naval support vessels and tug boats.

Streeting met the crew at HM Naval Base Clyde on Sunday. He said it “doesn’t sit lightly” with him that they had served longer than planned, and praised the country’s submariners and nuclear deterrent.

Life beneath the surface

To avoid detection, the submarines stay underwater and maintain radio silence throughout patrols. Crew members have limited contact with loved ones, receiving a weekly 120-word Familygram but not being allowed to reply.

Depending on sea conditions, they may listen to radio bulletins. After long patrols, submariners can find the outside world’s smells strange or overwhelming because they have grown accustomed to filtered air.

Fleet pressures extend patrols

HMS Vengeance was expected at Faslane the previous weekend, but its return was reportedly delayed when the submarine due to replace it had to go back to base for repairs to a technical fault. Patrols that once typically lasted three months have in recent years stretched to six months or more, with at least one boat unavailable for refit or repairs.

Previous patrol record

HMS Vanguard is thought to have held the Navy’s previous record, returning in April after 205 days at sea. The patrol lengths of Russian and Chinese submarines are not known, though most navies are believed to deploy their vessels for much shorter periods. Britain’s nuclear deterrent is based on the ability to launch a retaliatory strike if the country comes under nuclear attack, a strategy known as mutually assured destruction.