HM Naval Base Clyde

Extensive facilities to support the Trident system have been constructed at the Naval Base at Faslane, the home of the UK strategic nuclear deterrent force, and the Royal Naval Armament Depot at Coulport. These facilities have been designed and built to meet rigorous nuclear safety standards. Unlike the Polaris system, Trident missiles will not be serviced at Coulport but will be returned to the United States Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic, at Kings Bay in Georgia, for reprocessing at periodic intervals. This arrangement has meant that the UK has not had to construct its own reprocessing facilities.

Faslane is officially called HMS Neptune, because in the Royal Navy a shore Establishment is commissioned as one of Her Majesty's Ships, and officers and ratings assigned duty at the facility are recorded as being appointed to HMS Neptune. HMS Caledonia situated in the Rosyth area, is a subordinate command of HMS Neptune and provides support to naval personnel standing by ships and submarines in refit at Rosyth.

The Naval Technical Department [NTD] in HM Naval Base Clyde is a major support engineering operation, providing the full spectrum of nuclear submarine engineering support with the exception only of nuclear refueling.

A new nuclear site licence was granted by HSE to Rosyth Royal Dockyard Limited (RRD) on 30 January 1997. The new licences was necessary because under privatisation of the dockyard, the contracting arrangements between MoD and the dockyard companies change, with a new corporate body using the site.

Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde is one of the largest employment sites in Scotland, with around 6,800 military and civilian jobs as of 2015, with a wider economic impact on the local economy. The future is very positive: the number of personnel at HMNB Clyde was set to increase to an estimated 8,200 by 2022 as the Base becomes home to all Royal Navy submarines and the UK’s Submarine Centre of Specialisation from 2020.

HMNB Clyde is not just a submarine base – it is also home to some of the Navy’s surface ships; a Royal Marine Commando unit; the Northern Diving Group (including Maritime Explosives Ordnance Disposal), and a significant number of training facilities under Flag Officer Sea Training (North).

Major re-development of the Base is also underway. The Government planned to invest hundreds of millions of pounds at HMNB Clyde over the ten years 2015-2025 as part of a program of life extension of infrastructure in support of existing and future submarines and generation of the Submarine Centre of Specialisation. This would generate huge economic benefits for communities throughout Scotland.