A record-breaking deployment of a Royal Navy nuclear-armed submarine shows there is “something wrong”, a former chief has warned. HMS Vanguard returned to her Faslane base on Saturday following 205 days under the waves.
The huge patrol beats the previous record of 204 days, also set by HMS Vanguard, last year. The ageing Vanguard-class submarines, which carry the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent missiles, have suffered from repeated availability issues in recent years amid maintenance delays. Former Navy chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, who was Chief of the Defence Staff between 2021 and 2025, said HMS Vanguard’s deployment is concerning.
Speaking to The Sun, who broke the story, he said: “There is something wrong when sailors are having to put to sea for extraordinarily long patrols in complex machines beyond their original design life.”
The Navy has four Vanguard-class submarines which first entered service 33 years ago, designed to deploy for up to between three to four months at a time.
At least one of the boats is always on patrol upholding the UK’s Continuous At-Sea Deterrent.
The vessels require major maintenance following deployments. Only two are believed to be serviceable, while one is in deep maintenance. The vessels have been undergoing life extension programmes, with their Dreadnought-class successors not expected to enter service until the early 2030s.
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