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HM Naval Base Clyde
His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde; also HMS ''Neptune''), primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). It is the navy's headquarters in Scotland and is best known as the home of Britain's nuclear weapons, in the form of nuclear submarines armed with Trident missiles. History Faslane was first constructed and used as a base in the Second World War. During the 1960s, the British Government began negotiating the Polaris Sales Agreement with the United States regarding the purchase of a Polaris missile system to fire British-built nuclear weapons from five specially constructed submarines. In the end, only four were constructed; , , and . These four submarines were permanently based at Faslane. Faslane itself was chosen to host these vessels at the height of the Cold War because of its geographic position, which forms a bastion on the rel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch ( gd, An Gearr Loch) is an open sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland and bears a similar name to the village of Gairloch in the north west Highlands. The loch is well used for recreational boating, water sports and fishing. Harbour and grey seals are often seen in the Gare Loch along with pods of porpoise. Bottle Nose whales were photographed in September 2020. The loch also has been used since the early 20th century for naval training and as a base for the United Kingdom's submarine based nuclear weapons system. Geography A sea loch aligned north–south, Gare Loch is long with an average width of . At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows. The village of Rosneath lies on the western shore just north of Rosneath Point and gives the name Rosneath Peninsula to the whole body of land separating the Gare Loch from Loch Long to the west. The town of Helensburgh lies on the eastern shore and is the largest settlement ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bastion (naval)
A bastion in naval strategy is a heavily defended area of water in which friendly naval forces can operate safely. Typically, that area will be partially enclosed by friendly shoreline, defended by naval mines, monitored by sensors, and heavily patrolled by surface, submarine, and air forces. Soviet and Russian Naval Bastions The bastion became an important strategy for the ballistic missile submarine fleets of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Barents Sea was made a bastion for the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet, and the Sea of Okhotsk for the Soviet Pacific Fleet, both of which remain important to the Russian Northern Fleet and the Russian Pacific Fleet. The Soviet Union had (and, even more so, Russia now has) limited access to the world's oceans: her northern coast is ice-bound at least the majority of the year, and access to the Atlantic requires transiting the GIUK gap; much of her eastern coast is also ice-bound and requires moderately close approaches to eith ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Anson (S123)
HMS ''Anson'' is the fifth nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy. She is the eighth vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name, after Admiral George Anson. History On 25 March 2010, BAE Systems were given the go-ahead by the government to begin construction on boats 5 and 6 (''Anson'' and ''Agamemnon''), being given a £300 million contract for the "initial build" of boat 5 and "long lead procurement activities" for boat 6. Later that year work was begun on the pressure hull and reactor compartments. On 15 September 2011 it was announced that boat 5 would be named Anson; it was previously believed that boat 5 would be ''Agamemnon'' and boat 6 ''Anson''. Her keel was ceremonially laid on 13 October 2011. On 19 November 2015, a possible new contract worth £1.3 billion was signed for HMS ''Anson''. She was officially named on 11 December 2020, was rolled out of the Devonshire Dock Hall on 19 April 2021, and launched on 20 April 2021. It completed its first practice d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Audacious (S122)
HMS ''Audacious'' is the fourth nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy. Several previous vessels of the Royal Navy have borne the name. She was formally named on 16 December 2016 and was launched on 28 April 2017. Audacious was stated to be handed over in January 2021. A parliamentary written answer stated that ''Audacious'' was commissioned on 3 April 2020, but her public ceremonial commissioning took place on 23 September 2021. Design Propulsion ''Audacious''s nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the boat's 25-year service. The submarine can purify water and air, and will be able to circumnavigate the planet without surfacing. However, she carries three months' supply of food for 98 officers and ratings. Weapons ''Audacious'' has provision for up-to 38 weapons in six torpedo tubes. The submarine is capable of firing Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes. History Long lead items for her con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Artful (S121)
HMS ''Artful'' is the third nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the British Royal Navy. She is the second submarine of the Royal Navy to bear this name. ''Artful'' was ordered from GEC's Marconi Marine (now BAE Systems Submarine Solutions) on 17 March 1997, and was constructed at Barrow in Furness. She was named on 20 September 2013, was rolled out of the shipyard construction hall on 16 May 2014, and was due to start sea trials in early 2015. ''Artful'' made her first successful basin dive in October 2014, and sailed on 13 August 2015 for sea trials. ''Artful'' was handed over the Royal Navy on 14 December 2015, and commissioned on 18 March 2016. Design Propulsion ''Artful''s nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the boat's 25-year service. Since the submarine can purify water and air, she will be able to circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. The main limit is that the submarine will only be able to carry three months' supply of food for 98 officer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Ambush (S120)
HMS ''Ambush'' is an ''Astute''-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy, the second boat of her class. ''Ambush'' is the third vessel, and the second submarine, to bear the name in Royal Naval service. She was ordered in 1997, laid down in 2003 and commissioned in 2013. Design Propulsion ''Ambushs nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the boat's 25-year service. Since the submarine can purify water and air, she will be able to circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. The main limit is that the submarine will only be able to carry three months' supply of food for 98 officers and ratings. Weapons ''Ambush'' has provision for up-to 38 weapons in six torpedo tubes. The submarine is capable of using Tomahawk Block IV land-attack missiles with a range of and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes. Construction and commissioning ''Ambush'' was ordered from GEC's Marconi Marine (now BAE Systems Submarine Solutions) on 17 March 1997. She was laid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Astute (S119)
HMS ''Astute'' is an operational nuclear-powered attack submarine in the Royal Navy, the lead boat of her class. ''Astute'' is the second submarine of the Royal Navy to be named after the characteristic of shrewdness and discernment—the first was the World War II-era . She was the largest attack submarine in Royal Navy history when commissioned in 2010. Design Built as a successor to the , ''Astute'' is 50% larger than the T-boats but has a smaller crew. The 7,400-tonne ''Astute''s nuclear reactor will not need to be refuelled during the vessel's 25-year service. Since the submarine can purify water and air, she is able to circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing. The main limit is that the submarine can only carry three months' supply of food for 98 crew. ''Astute'' has stowage for 38 weapons and was expected to typically carry both Spearfish heavy torpedoes and Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles, the latter costing £870,000 each. Construction and launch ''A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astute-class Submarine
The ''Astute'' class is the latest class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines ( SSNs) in service with the Royal Navy. The boats are being constructed by BAE Systems Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness. Seven boats will be constructed: the first of class, , was launched by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in 2007, commissioned in 2010, and declared fully operational in May 2014. The ''Astute'' class is the replacement for the fleet submarines in Royal Navy service. Development Batch 2 ''Trafalgar'' class The ''Astute''-class programme began in February 1986 when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) launched a number of studies intended to determine the capabilities and requirements for the replacement of its ''Swiftsure'' and ''Trafalgar''-class fleet submarines. These studies, called project SSN20, were conducted during the Cold War, when the Royal Navy maintained a strong emphasis on anti-submarine warfare to counter increasingly more capable Soviet submarines. To match this growing threat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vanguard-class Submarine
The ''Vanguard'' class is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) in service with the Royal Navy. The class was introduced in 1994 as part of the Trident nuclear programme, and comprises four vessels: , , and , built between 1986 and 1999 at Barrow-in-Furness by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, now owned by BAE Systems.''Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004–2005''. Jane's Information Group Limited. p. 794. . All four boats are based at HM Naval Base Clyde (HMS ''Neptune''), west of Glasgow, Scotland. Since the decommissioning of the Royal Air Force WE.177 free-fall thermonuclear weapons during March 1998, the four ''Vanguard'' submarines are the sole platforms for the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
10th Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom)
The 10th Submarine Squadron was an administrative unit of the Royal Navy. History The squadron was formed at HMNB Clyde, Faslane, Scotland, in the 1960s to direct the Resolution-class submarines equipped with Polaris missiles that formed part of the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent. The squadron would later direct the Vanguard-class submarines equipped with Trident missiles. In October 1993 the 3rd and 10th Squadrons at Faslane amalgamated into a new 1st Submarine Squadron (Watson). In February 2002 all existing squadrons were disbanded and replaced by three flotillas at the base ports of Devonport, Faslane and Portsmouth. Submarines Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004–2005. Jane's Information Group Limited See also * List of squadrons and flotillas of the Royal Navy This is a List of squadrons and flotillas of the Royal Navy. Type squadrons Aircraft carriers Numbered * 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron – British Pacific Fleet, East Indies Fleet (1945–1947) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holy Loch
The Holy Loch ( gd, An Loch Sianta/Seunta) is a sea loch, a part of the Cowal peninsula coast of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The "Holy Loch" name is believed to date from the 6th century, when Saint Munn landed there after leaving Ireland. Kilmun Parish Church and Argyll Mausoleum is said to stand where Saint Munn's church was once located. Robertson's Yard at Sandbank, a village on the loch, was a major wooden boat building company in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During World War II, the loch was used as a British Royal Navy submarine base. From 1961 to 1992, it was used as a United States Navy ballistic missile submarine base. In 1992, the Holy Loch base was deemed unnecessary following the demise of the Soviet Union and subsequently closed. Geography Open on the Firth of Clyde at its eastern end, the Sea Loch is approximately wide and between long, varying with the tide. The town of Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula lies on the shores of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea ( no, Norskehavet; is, Noregshaf; fo, Norskahavið) is a marginal sea, grouped with either the Atlantic Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Norway between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea, adjoining the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a submarine ridge running between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. To the north, the Jan Mayen Ridge separates it from the Greenland Sea. Unlike many other seas, most of the bottom of the Norwegian Sea is not part of a continental shelf and therefore lies at a great depth of about two kilometres on average. Rich deposits of oil and natural gas are found under the sea bottom and are being explored commercially, in the areas with sea depths of up to about one kilometre. The coastal zones are rich in fish that visit the Norwegian Sea from the North Atlantic or from the Barents Sea (cod) for spawning. The warm North Atlantic Current ensures relatively stable and high ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
