by Kim Hardie
The arrival of two unassuming shipping containers at HM Naval Base Clyde marks a significant step forward in how the Royal Navy maintains and returns its submarines to sea.
Delivered to the home of the UK Submarine Service on 24th June, these advanced, deployable workshops provide engineers with the ability to manufacture critical components on-site – reducing reliance on traditional supply chains and accelerating repair times.
Housed within the containers are state-of-the-art additive manufacturing capabilities, including polymer 3D printers, scanning equipment, and a dedicated engineering workspace. Together, they enable submarine engineers to digitally scan, design, and produce replacement parts directly at the point of need.
Max, a Commander in the Royal Navy and Submarine Delivery Group Additive Manufacturing Lead, said: “This capability enhances our capacity to return submarines to service faster, directly supporting operational readiness.
“These deployable additive manufacturing workshops represent a significant advancement in how the Royal Navy supports submarine maintenance. By enabling engineers to produce components on-site, we are reducing dependence on complex supply chains and accelerating repair timelines, ultimately improving the submarines’ material state and availability.”
Traditionally, sourcing replacement components for submarines could involve lengthy supply chains and extended lead times, with vessels often waiting alongside while parts were produced. The introduction of these deployable workshops significantly reduces that delay, helping to restore submarines to operational availability more quickly.
Two of the containers are custom-made, designed by QinetiQ, based on the requirements of the Submarine Delivery Group’s Platform Equipment Delivery Team (SDG PEDT).
Paul Duff, QinetiQ Associate Materials Scientist, said: “Working in the additive manufacturing All-in-One facility alongside Royal Navy personnel will provide us with an incredible opportunity to show how additive manufacturing can transform routine submarine maintenance. It’s been very rewarding to see the facility come together in Farnborough and even more exciting to see it now deployed at HM Naval Base Clyde.”
QinetiQ staff will be operating the workshops for the next twelve months with the ship’s staff and the Submarine Flotilla’s Engineering Support Group.
The initiative has been driven by the SDG PEDT Additive Manufacturing team and forms part of the Submarine Maintenance Recovery Plan (SMRP) – a Royal Navy-led initiative to improve the speed and resilience of submarine maintenance across the enterprise.
By bringing manufacturing capability closer to the front line, the project supports a more agile and responsive support model.
Will Blamey, Chief Executive, UK Defence, QinetiQ, said: “Our proven expertise in additive manufacturing, combined with the latest technology being installed at HM Naval Base Clyde, will see us print, scan, and reverse engineer submarine parts on demand, at pace and at dockside, helping to get submarines back on operations more quickly.”
Additive manufacturing is an increasingly important technology within Defence, offering opportunities not only to reproduce legacy or obsolete parts, but also to improve designs and adapt components to meet evolving operational requirements.
The arrival of the workshops at HM Naval Base Clyde demonstrates the Royal Navy’s commitment to innovation and strengthening the resilience of its submarine support capability. As this technology develops, it has the potential to play an increasingly central role in sustaining the UK’s submarine fleet.
First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, who launched the Submarine Maintenance Recovery Plan (SMRP) in January, said: “The arrival of these deployable workshops marks a step forward in delivering the Submarine Maintenance Recovery Plan. This new technology has the potential to change how we maintain our submarines – cutting time alongside and increasing availability. It represents the real, tangible progress the Royal Navy is making to strengthen the underwater fleet.
“When I launched SMRP earlier this year, this is exactly the kind of progress I wanted to see. It is encouraging to witness it taking shape at HM Naval Base Clyde.”
Two shipping containers to get five Boats back to sea, might as well ship Coulport and Faslane a couple of Aladdin Lamps🦉from my Crystal Ball