The Defence Secretary has announced the fourth Dreadnought
submarine as HMS King George VI ahead of a special service
at Westminster Abbey today to recognise the Royal Navy’s
Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD) over the past 50 years.
Since April 1969, a Royal Navy ballistic missile submarine
has patrolled every single day, without interruption,
providing the nation’s deterrent and helping keep the UK
and our allies safe. This is the UK’s longest sustained
military operation ever undertaken and is known as
Operation Relentless.
Defence Secretary said:
Operation Relentless has seen generations of submariners
from HMS Resolution to HMS Vengeance on constant watch,
for every minute of every day for the last five decades.
This is the longest military operation we have ever
undertaken and continues right this minute deep under the
sea.
We pay tribute to those incredible crews, their
supportive families, the Royal Navy and the thousands of
industry experts who will continue to sustain this truly
national endeavour for many years to come.
CASD50 provides a chance to not only remember the national
endeavour of the past half century but to look to the
next-generation of ballistic missile submarines, the
Dreadnought class. This will consist of four boats helping
to ensure the security of generations to come. The
Dreadnought-class are expected to enter service in the
early 2030s, helping to maintain Operation Relentless.
Prior to the service at Westminster Abbey, First Sea Lord,
Admiral Sir Philip Jones, announced that HMS King George VI
will now join HMS Dreadnought, Valiant and Warspite as the
fourth Dreadnought submarine. HMS King George VI makes
history as it will become the first naval vessel to bear
that royal title. King George VI had strong naval
connections having spent time at the Royal Naval College,
Osbourne followed by Dartmouth. He then went on to earn a
mention in despatches for his service on HMS Collingwood
during the Battle of Jutland.
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones said:
For half a century, the Royal Navy has always had at
least one ballistic missile submarine at sea on patrol,
safeguarding the ultimate guarantor of our country’s
security – and that of our NATO allies too. Today, as we
pause to reflect on the significance of this 50-year
milestone in our proud history of submarine operations,
and the national endeavour that underpins it, we are also
looking to our future.
Today’s announcement that the fourth of our future
ballistic missile submarine fleet will be named HMS King
George VI follows a long tradition of naming capital
ships after our country’s monarchs; together with her
sisters Dreadnought, Valiant and Warspite these
submarines represent the cutting edge of underwater
capability and will meet the awesome challenge of
continuous at sea deterrence into the second half of the
21st century.
It is estimated that around 30,000 people are involved in
building and supporting nuclear submarines across the UK.
Maintaining this skilled workforce helps to invest millions
of pounds into local communities and ensures the UK
continues to boast a highly-skilled workforce in this
sector.
Read more about
CASD50
