Three of UK's four nuclear submarines are out at sea as per multiple reports. The reason for these nuclear deterrent subs' deployment is not immediately clear but it is understood that at least one of the vessels will be armed with nuclear warheads, and be on routine patrol.
The Times reported on the activity first and spoke to a source who described it as "unusual" without explaining why. Meanwhile, an expert told Sky News that one of the Vanguard-class submarines would likely be working up to take over the patrol, and the third could be undergoing sea trials.
This "unusual" deployment of most of UK's fleet suggests an improvement in availability where the Royal Navy's submarine service has run into problems in recent years. The report noted that this deployment is sure to catch the eye of UK's enemies and its NATO allies.
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The UK usually has at least one Trident submarine deployed, which serves as the nation's ultimate security guarantee, that is, a continuous at-sea deterrence. The report further noted that having three such submarines at sea at the same time is not routine by any measure. This is reportedly the first time in seven years that such a deployment has taken place.
{{/usCountry}}The UK usually has at least one Trident submarine deployed, which serves as the nation's ultimate security guarantee, that is, a continuous at-sea deterrence. The report further noted that having three such submarines at sea at the same time is not routine by any measure. This is reportedly the first time in seven years that such a deployment has taken place.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the HMS Victorious, the fourth of the Trident submarines, is in the Devonport naval base and is undergoing maintenance.
Ministry of Defence speaks out
The Sky News report noted a Ministry of Defence spokesperson say “Our nuclear deterrent is the cornerstone of our national security, protecting the UK and our NATO allies every moment of every day. We remain the only European ally to commit its nuclear deterrent to the defence of NATO. This means that all NATO Allies already benefit from the protection of our nuclear deterrent.”
Nuclear sub deployment comes after show of air force
The news of three nuclear subs being deployed comes days after Royal Air Force (RAF) jets joined in for a ‘simulated nuclear strike’ with France, in war games for the first time.
While Sky News noted that such a deployment could be a signal to opponents, a source insisted to The Sun that it was just a "coincidence" that three subs had sailed together. They insisted it was ‘not related to any direct threat’ and there was no nuclear escalation.
The individual noted that the deployment also meant an end to long patrols. “It is really good news if Vigilant is back because it means an end to stupidly long patrols. We should be moving from a two boat rotation to a three boat rotation,” they said. Notably, in 2025, HMS Vanguard was kept patrolling at sea for over 200 days - one of the longest-ever deployments.