Wednesday, 14 October 2026
NAVAL BASE Commander Clyde, Commodore Andy Bray, broke ground on the construction of a new facility at Royal Naval Armament Depot (RNAD) Coulport recently, which will support future classes of Royal Navy submarines.
Building 300 at the Royal Naval Armament Depot will house the Vertical Embarkation System, or VES, a new facility used to load tactical weapons onto future Dreadnought-class deterrent submarines.
The building is designed to receive, store, assemble, and maintain Spearfish torpedoes, which are the main armament used to defend the submarine from threats. The VES will also be used to train personnel in the handling of the weapons.
“This is a great day, with the building moving from the concept and design phase to activity on-site,” said Philip Mortlock, Superintendent of RNAD Coulport.
“The building is already drawing interest and excitement as the first of many investments to be made at Coulport to ensure we have a sustainable enterprise that will enable all our future submarine weapons programmes.”
Commodore Bray struck the first spade on October 5th alongside representatives from KDG, the prime contractor for the project.
Joining them for the occasion were staff from the Superintendent’s office, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), Deputy Head Infrastructure (DHI), Submarine Support Team (SMST), and Babcock Torpedo Loading Party staff who will be some of the first to benefit from the new facilities.
The multi-million-pound project is now up and running with initial piling underway. In less than two years, the building should be ready to support Dreadnought preparations at HMNB Clyde, and, likely will support the future SSN-AUKUS programme too.
Commodore Andy Bray, Naval Base Commander Clyde, said: “I am thrilled to be able to break ground on this fantastic facility today. It will be a much-needed and exciting addition to the Coulport landscape, and I for one look forward to seeing the building when it comes to life.”
The groundbreaking on the VES is the latest in a host of development work underway at HM Naval Base Clyde. In March this year, the ribbon was cut on a new Trident Training Facility Extension at Faslane. The new facility will provide submariners – in particular, weapons engineers – with bespoke training using shore-based equipment that replicates that found on the Dreadnought Class.
There is also the ongoing construction of four new Single Living Accommodation blocks at the site, with the first two to be used by trainee submariners who are undertaking the Submarine Qualifying Course (SMQ) at the base’s Royal Navy Submarine Training Centre (RNSTC).
Last year, the government approved a £270.7M investment package – an initial three-year funding that will be used to adapt and improve the infrastructure at Clyde, preparing it to welcome the Dreadnoughts and the Royal Navy’s next generation of attack submarines.
From early 2030, the current Vanguard Class submarines will be gradually replaced by the Dreadnought Class – the most powerful and technically advanced submarines ever built for the Royal Navy.
Just last month, Chancellor John Healey confirmed three new floating docks for HM Naval Base Clyde to be built in the UK supporting the defence industrial base and sovereign capabilities.
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