Skip to content

HMS Vanguard departs Plymouth

HMS Vanguard, one of the four Trident submarines that maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent, left Devonport yesterday after a very much delayed Long Overhaul Period and Refuel (LOP(R)).

During Vanguards’s first 35-month LOP(R) which took place between Feb 2002 and Jan 2005, she received the new Core H reactor. This new core design, which has subsequently been installed in her sister boats and on the Astute class submarines from the outset, was intended to avoid the need to refuel at all during its lifetime. Vanguard is therefore the first submarine to have a Core H refuelling, a task that was not envisaged when it was designed.

Vanguard will return to Faslane for workup before resuming deterrent patrols later this year.

345597085 194439959684106 12997132202344760 N 345597085 194439959684106 12997132202344760 N
345605480 563933118960235 5729105317508529929 N 345605480 563933118960235 5729105317508529929 N
345592676 1246345402662806 6265908665260169685 N 345592676 1246345402662806 6265908665260169685 N
345591261 3072496329719026 3984625387750086628 N 345591261 3072496329719026 3984625387750086628 N
345592993 6330797606943761 1181905916905234960 N 345592993 6330797606943761 1181905916905234960 N
346272041 1196306641034539 7236148664080595970 N 346272041 1196306641034539 7236148664080595970 N
346447074 635493884639349 1620624993925581940 N 346447074 635493884639349 1620624993925581940 N
Cookie usage

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services.