A British nuclear submarine has broken the record for the longest patrol at sea as safety fears grow over the Royal Navy’s ageing fleet.
The Vanguard-class vessel returned to the Faslane naval base in Scotland on Monday encrusted with barnacles and covered in slime after a gruelling tour understood to have lasted more than six months.
Naval experts have raised concerns that the long patrols result in immense physical strain on the vessels and take a psychological toll on the crews.
The UK has four Vanguard-class submarines, which are armed with up to eight Trident ballistic missiles carrying Britain’s nuclear warheads. At least one submarine is on patrol at all times to maintain a continuous at-sea deterrent.
The fleet has been effectively reduced to two
