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HMNB Clyde
His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde) is the main presence of the Royal Navy in Scotland, the operational command and support base of the United Kingdom's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, including attack submarines and the Trident programme ballistic missile submarine system which is the UK's nuclear deterrent. It is generally known as Faslane after its shore establishment on the Gareloch, officially named HMS Neptune. It is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). HMNB Clyde is sited in the Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long, and includes RNAD Coulport on Loch Long, which stores, maintains, and issues the submarine embarked weapons.
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; HMS Resolution, HMS Repulse, HMS Renown and HMS Revenge. 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 relatively secluded but deep and easily navigable Gare Loch and Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland. This position provides for rapid and stealthy access through the North Channel to the submarine patrolling areas in the North Atlantic, through the GIUK gap to the Norwegian Sea. At the time it was chosen, the location was also close to the American SSBN base at Holy Loch, which operated 1961–1992. One boat was always on patrol at any given time.
In 1971, the base was home to the 3rd Submarine Squadron of Nuclear Fleet and Diesel Patrol Submarines, "the fighters", and the 10th Submarine Squadron consisting of the four Polaris submarines, "the bombers".
On 19 March 2026, a 34-year-old Iranian man and a 31-year-old Romanian woman were arrested at the base after being refused permission to enter. Their intentions were unclear.
The following notable vessels and units are based at Faslane.
Commodore J. L. Perks OBE, Commander Submarine Flotilla/(Commodore Submarine Service (COSM))
Four vessels (Halcyon, Hussar, Hydra and Harrier) enabled for autonomous/uncrewed operations. Hebe accommodates a Portable Operations Centre Afloat that allows command & control of autonomous operations. The other vessels have been employed as crewed workboats for route surveys in the U.K. and elsewhere, as well as for trials of small uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).
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HMNB Clyde
His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde) is the main presence of the Royal Navy in Scotland, the operational command and support base of the United Kingdom's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, including attack submarines and the Trident programme ballistic missile submarine system which is the UK's nuclear deterrent. It is generally known as Faslane after its shore establishment on the Gareloch, officially named HMS Neptune. It is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). HMNB Clyde is sited in the Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long, and includes RNAD Coulport on Loch Long, which stores, maintains, and issues the submarine embarked weapons.
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; HMS Resolution, HMS Repulse, HMS Renown and HMS Revenge. 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 relatively secluded but deep and easily navigable Gare Loch and Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland. This position provides for rapid and stealthy access through the North Channel to the submarine patrolling areas in the North Atlantic, through the GIUK gap to the Norwegian Sea. At the time it was chosen, the location was also close to the American SSBN base at Holy Loch, which operated 1961–1992. One boat was always on patrol at any given time.
In 1971, the base was home to the 3rd Submarine Squadron of Nuclear Fleet and Diesel Patrol Submarines, "the fighters", and the 10th Submarine Squadron consisting of the four Polaris submarines, "the bombers".
On 19 March 2026, a 34-year-old Iranian man and a 31-year-old Romanian woman were arrested at the base after being refused permission to enter. Their intentions were unclear.
The following notable vessels and units are based at Faslane.
Commodore J. L. Perks OBE, Commander Submarine Flotilla/(Commodore Submarine Service (COSM))
Four vessels (Halcyon, Hussar, Hydra and Harrier) enabled for autonomous/uncrewed operations. Hebe accommodates a Portable Operations Centre Afloat that allows command & control of autonomous operations. The other vessels have been employed as crewed workboats for route surveys in the U.K. and elsewhere, as well as for trials of small uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).