HMS Vengeance’s 217-day tour raises questions about slow pace of maintenance of ageing fleet and impact on crew
A Trident nuclear submarine has concluded a record seven-month deployment, returning to the Faslane naval base in Scotland, where its crew are expected to be greeted by senior members of the government .
HMS Vengeance began its patrol on 12 April and spent 217 days submerged before returning on Sunday, leaving the country when Keir Starmer was in Downing Street and Manchester United were third in the Premier League.
Its tour underwater surpasses the old 205-day record, set by the previous crew, raising questions about the strains placed on sailors and the reliability of ageing submarines sent on the extended missions.
“Patrols are getting longer and longer,” said David Cullen, a nuclear expert with the Basic thinktank. “The fleet was designed around three-month tours, and that was considered to be a long time to be stuck underwater in a metal box with no contact with the outside world.”
The increase in the time spent at sea reflects the slow pace of submarine maintenance, prompting Labour to blame spending cuts implemented by the Conservatives, though naval chiefs insist there is a plan for improvement.
HMS Vengeance is one of four submarines responsible for carrying Britain’s Trident nuclear missiles.
