Two American submarines arrived on the River Clyde in Scotland this week on routine visits, marking a significant increase in allied submarine activity.

It’s not rare for American submarines to visit but this level of activity is rare. It’s rarer still for the visits to be publicised but that didn’t stop the U.S. Navy issuing a press release for the arrival of the USS Rhode Island, the first American Trident missile carrying submarine to visit Faslane since 2019, at the start of last month.

Then on the 6th of July.

The 12th of July.

On the 25th of July, another submarine arrived.

On the 3rd of August.

On the 4th of August.

Of course there have been more visits but these are only the ones that the public are aware of due to the time of their arrivals in broad daylight.

Earlier in the year, nuclear submarines from three countries were berthed in HMNB Clyde at Faslane near Glasgow in Scotland.

The American submarine was of the Virginia class and the French submarine was of the Rubis class.

HM Naval Base Clyde – commonly known throughout the Navy as Faslane – is the Royal Navy’s main presence in Scotland. It is home to the core of the Submarine Service, including the nation’s nuclear deterrent, and the new generation of hunter-killer submarines.

The base is home to Trident nuclear missile-carrying Vanguard-class nuclear submarines in addition to Astute-class attack submarines and a number of smaller, conventional surface vessels.

The Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport, 8 miles from Faslane, is responsible for the storage, processing, maintenance and issue of key elements of the UK’s Trident Deterrent Missile System and the ammunitioning of all submarine embarked weapons.

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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17 COMMENTS

  1. Good! Yet again more overt show of strength and commitment, by the US to NATO and a bit of a heads up to Putin and his group of mafia inner circle (those who haven’t had recent “accidents” or “suicides” certainly in the oil and “gaz” industry) and shit scared sheep like military head sheds! Threaten all you want Puketin however stand by for real retribution!

    • Yeh, the USN / NATO sub force is certainly showing a bit of ankle these days..!

      However, I do wonder what they are getting up to out of sight! Remember that Russian naval excercise off Ireland just before the invasion of Ukraine? Russia’s navy has been a lot more circumspect outside of the Black Sea (and in the Black Sea) recently!.

      I think that secret cold war under the ice might have hotted up somewhat..! Lets hope it doesn’t get toooooo hot.

      Cheers CR

      • Agreed, and it would’ve interesting to know what the US subs have been up to prior to showing themselves! Never been an end to the Cold War in the undersea domain mate! Where’s deep, he was one of those strange underwater people, wonder what his take is on things?

        • Hi mate,
          Individually there could be many reasons for the US boats to visit Faslane, as posted they visit regularly, but are often not often seen due to the time of day/weather when they arrive.
          Regardless, you don’ t normally see this amount of activity over such a short period of time wrt US SSGN’s.
          Best guess is that there is an unusual amount of activity up in and around the Norwegian Sea and all points South and West.
          Coming into Faslane gives units already at the limit of their food endurance the opportunity to resupply without the need for a long protracted return to New London in the States. It allows them to remain deployed for longer periods, without having a gap in there coverage.
          The US East coast SSGN flt only has about 12-14 SMs, with the rest over on the Pacific coast. Its all about managing resources, and conserving core life where possible. Even the US can only build SMs at a certain rate.

  2. Aye a welcome sight 👍🏻certainly a far far more welcome spectacle than the usual banana boats that are regularly seen coming the other way doon the Clyde in yonder weegieland.

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

  3. Faslane is a bit like Kings Bay (a bit colder and no alligators admittedly) so it serves our US cousins right that they get the delights of Helensburgh to yahoo in. Not sure why the French need to suffer it though.

    • No alligators? Have you met the local lasses. 😂😂😂😂😂
      Lovely place round there. I used to work sometimes at arrochar, garelochhead etc. always loved going out that way.

  4. Possibly a silly question but could RN D5 missiles be fired from an US sub and vice versa? I know the missile body is the same but the warheads are diffrent possibly meaning diffrent characteristics.

    • You might be straying into top secret stuff there.
      The missiles are a shared pool so they are the same. As for differences between the bits on top of the missile and targeting systems – no comment.

    • I don’t think the fire control systems onboard would be compatible. Different battle management system for a start. Missile are intermixed though but the warheads target themselves and I seriously doubt any way for a US sub to communicate with the British warhead or vice and versa.

  5. Those houses on either bank must be some of the most photographed buildings in UK. Its getting to the point where I know them one by one 🙂

  6. Thankfully where they tie up is in a high security facilty ,and can obtain what ever they require with the Royal Navy offering their hospitality.
    They will keep an eye on Rasputins navy which ventures into the UK waters.

  8. Not sure at the moment, if a tactical nuke is used I’m sure NATO will need to respond, not in kind, but by targeting Russkie capabilities in that area! Big balls call though as would be a gamble in regard to escalation mate.

  9. It would seem, George (Allison) that I might, occasionally, like to add a comment, from the point of view of my Hostilities Service Connections with our Royal Navy during the Second World War and a few years beyond, such as my WRNS mother’s Service after an immediate relative of her’s Blown To Smithereens on Battle of the Atlantic Convoy Escorts Duty involving U-Boat Attacks, but

    If I’m not mistaken, It would seem that another Contributor to this Thread would seem to have Raised Objections to my and others Publicised, Allegedly, Details that would seem to have been Remarked Upon as Useful Information For Other National Interests, It would seem

    Following an article, It would seem, With Reference to the Irish Navy alongside, and Somewhere in an Irish Port of Call, I would seem to have Recollection of.

    Hence My Frustration/Reticence, George

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