An American Virginia class nuclear submarine is conducting a routine visit to HMNB Clyde at Faslane, near Glasgow.

The US Navy say that port visits “strengthen cooperation between the United States and United Kingdom”, and “demonstrate US capability, flexibility, and continuing commitment to NATO allies.”

This isn’t a new occurrence, in fact, it is quite routine. For those remarking ‘this isn’t new’, that’s right but people only know this happens often because it is reported often and we believe that it’s important to report even mundane things like ‘Submarine visits submarine base’ in order to pre-empt sensationalist headlines. If people know it’s routine then no one panics.

The below image was captured by Sheila Weir, a maritime photographer based in the area. You can find her on Twitter here, I recommend you give her a follow.

The Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered cruise missile-carrying fast-attack submarines. Designed by the General Dynamics Electric Boat and the Huntington Ingalls Industries, the Virginia class submarines are the US Navy’s primary undersea warfare platform incorporating stealth, intelligence gathering and comprehensive weapons systems technology.

The submarine is now berthed at HMNB Clyde. The base is sited at Faslane in the west of Scotland not far from Glasgow, one of Britain’s largest cities.

It’s one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy, the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth. It is best known as the home of Britain’s nuclear weapons, in the form of nuclear submarines armed with Trident missiles.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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40 COMMENTS

  1. One question I get it that you want to report US subs visiting Faslane as it reinforces the “nothing special to see here folks”. But why was the deployment of 2 Norwegian Skjold class corvettes last week to Plymouth reported.
    i don’t think that is a normal happening.

    • As DMJ says, very routine. The Skjolds are around for FOST every 3 years or so. All broadcast on the daily movements online and in the press.

    • I am making $92 an hour working from home. i was greatly surprised at the same time as my neighbour advised me she changed into averaging $ninety five however I see the way it works now. I experience mass freedom now that I’m my non-public boss. 
      that is what I do.. http://www.incomehd.com

    • Ok I’m a Brit my answer would be depends on what you want to do. As a pure hunter killier I would take the Astute, if I needed long range strike capability at a stand off distance then the Virginia. As a pure cost tag the Astute is better £ for £ and manpower is less so ecconomically the Astute wins. For multi tasking deep strike then hunting the Virginia wins. For areas of operations Astute wins as she is smaller and can be used in more areas of the seas. Head to head Astute vs Virginia with skipper training being national RN skipper vs US skipper I’m not sure on that one but I would edge the RN skipper and the Astute 3 out of 5. Both subs are good but each have a better performance then the other in some areas. I would say they complement each other.

    • C’est la vie … But who would have imagined from George Washington, Bunker Hill, the British army’s evacuation of Boston and their landing at Long Island, New York … Who would have imagined that we would become such fine bedfellows

  5. “The Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered cruise missile-carrying fast-attack submarines”

    “The Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered, cruise missile-carrying, fast-attack submarines”

    Fixed it for you, just in case anyone thought the cruise missiles were nuclear powered. 😃

    • I think we bought 42 launchers back in the day. Maybe we supply one Battery plus a few spares? Not sure how many are in a battery – US has 9 per battery

    • That’s ridiculous. We haven’t enough for our own RA and now we give them away… I’m not debating Ukraines need for them, but I am also guessing that they will not be replaced. Just because the US has 1500 and is giving away a few, doesn’t means the U.K. should out of its 40 something stockpile. Other day I was driving down the Highway that runs between LA and Las Vegas and I saw a train carrying what looked like two or three batteries of M270s. I think the US has about 9 per battery meaning that one train has about half the rocket artillery firepower of the entire British Army!

      • US isnt giving M270, they are giving the M142 HIMARS which is a truck rather version with half the firepower of the tracked version. They use the same rockets though. Another country is giving M270 as well, cant remember which at the moment though, I think it was the Netherlands which has them in storage but not in active service.

      • The ones given will be the spares in U.K. storage. The U.K. bought more than they use now. Same with the 179 AS90 originally bought. Although I think the spares were found to be needing a bit of work done and couldn’t be shipped straight away.
        Hopefully replacements are being bought for equipment that is required that’s been given away.

        • The British Armies “Future Soldier” report talked of a 2nd RA Regiment forming on GMLRS replacing one of the gun regiments. So there was a modest expansion on the cards. Now?

          We do like to mimic everything the US does, even renaming MoD/ military organisations with US inspired titles. The “Security Force Assistance Brigade” is a high profile one, but there are many I have found more obscure within MoD. What was wrong with the BATT which we have used for decades!?

          • Not sure what the original UK purchase number were? Germany also seem to have about 40 units, so may be they have some in store? One of the largest users seems to be Saudi with 184 units

      • No too worry. Sleep Joe is only sending 4. In a country the size of Ukraine it won’t make any difference.

  7. Both are equally deadly. No, Russia or China does not have nuclear attack boats of this level of quality and capability. And just as important, if not more so, the quality of the crews. The RN Perisher command course is still regarded as the toughest and respected command course in the world.

  8. From a purely objective, impartial perspective, they are better at different things. The Virginia is slightly larger (especially Block V), has a generally heavier missile loadout and is better for strike capabilities or eliminating ships at range using missiles. As a pure hunter killer, operating entirely alone and eliminating ships and submarines, the Astute is your boat. Overall, the Virginia is better armed and better at operating in cooperation with the larger US Navy and military; the Astute is likely stealthier and has a more advanced sensor suite, and better at operating as part of a Royal Navy that doesn’t have the ability to station ships everywhere as the US does.

    • The block 5 Virginia is quite a bit larger in overall size and displacement than the Astute. There’s no hard evidence that either is quieter or has better sensors that the other. The one thing the Virginia does have is more weapons than the Astute. Both in the number of torpedoes and having many times the number of TLAMs.

      • There’s no hard evidence that either is quieter or has better sensors that the other.

        Supposedly the shape of the Astute makes it more stealthy. There’s an ex USN submariner, sonar guy on youtube called sub brief. That goes into to detail how sonar sort works and explains how the shape affects the sonar bouncing back. It’s all conjecture but sounds very logical the way he explains it.

        • Yes it’s the angling you see on the exterior of vanguard and astute it works like stealth to reflect sound away from the emitting source. US submarines are quite outdated in this regard much the same as their surface ships that don’t have the sleek look of European designs.

          • If they are outdated as you claim, why are the new Columbia class SSBNs sticking to almost the exact form factor? These subs are the highest priority weapon in the entire US arsenal and rely almost exclusively on stealth for their survivability.

  9. Obviously the Sub with the most kettles on board.
    I think the Royal Navy sub would win pretty easily.

  11. Russia does have a lot of things that are under the sea, but most were surface ships till not too long ago!

  13. I wouldn’t trust everything you read about Russiann or Chinese hardware. For decades people have been over hyping Russian gear and we all see how poorly it does in actual combat now. Poor kit along with poorly trained and motivated personnel make for a poorly performing military. I’m sure their Navy isn’t any better.

  14. If you look at even future Russian sub designs like Husky they lack pretty basic features like pump jets that have been on British and American boats since the 80’s. The UK task force in the South China Sea managed to track three of the latest Chinese type 93 submarines. That would be close to impossible with astute or Virginia. In terms of Virginia vs Astute there is likely not much in it and any head to head would come down to training and luck. Astute is the better ship killer with higher speed, better sonar and more torpedos. Virginia is the better land attack and general purpose with great size and a large VLS.

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