I was a nuclear submarine commander – this is what is at stake

Independent

20-03-2025

We live in a dangerous world. Whatever your thoughts on whether nuclear weapons are inherently evil or not – and, to be clear, they do hold the key to the destruction of humanity – they are here to stay.
The nuclear deterrent, Operation Relentless, is exactly as the name suggests: both for the country and the crews that man it. Running since 1969, it is the UK's longest-running continuous military operation. At least one submarine is at sea, armed with nuclear missiles and ready to fire them against any aggressor on behalf of the public. It's not easy. There is no communication with family. You spend months in a small space with no privacy so tensions can run high. But those who do it are a peculiar breed – and, as a member of the command team on a number of patrols, I include myself in that description.
The early days of sailing are weighed down by the memory of the people we have left on shore; the last buoyed by the prospect of seeing them again. The weeks in between merge into a mix of routine punctuated by drills, and events that make it bearable. Throughout, you are supported by the knowledge that what you are doing is defending the nation. Those on board are well aware of the importance of their role. That understanding must be being stretched pretty thin, however, with the pressures they now face.
Can extended patrols be supported indefinitely? Of course not. Submariners may be a peculiar breed but they are still human. Divorce rates are high – unsurprising, given that today's young people living a 'normal' existence above sea level need everyday contact. It is difficult enough to get over the shift in societal behaviours to recruit future submariners, let alone keep those that we already have. This is an internal cultural battle to be fought alongside the external geopolitical battle that the government is engaging with.
In addition, long periods of sea take a huge toll on the submarine itself. We need to invest now to promote more reliable designs and to reduce that pressure, which will be reaching intolerable levels. Combine these human and machine aspects and you face an almost impossible situation.
The world stage is now crammed with actors, whether that be the old guard of Nato's permanent members of the Security Council, or power-hungry nations aspiring to dominance over their neighbours. From Russia's annexing of Crimea and the full-scale invasion of the country with the additional contributions of the regional Middle East disaster to the malign intent of China over Taiwan, the last 10 years have left us in a more perilous state than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
That is why our UK-owned nuclear deterrent is more important than ever and more especially that it is delivered through the inviolate nature of submarines – they remain undiscoverable and invulnerable. We must have the ultimate fall-back, ever-present, that will say to any that want to impose their will and potential destruction upon us that we can defend ourselves. Mutually assured destruction is, after all, a powerful message to send and should be heard by all but the insane. This is the base upon which we can build our forces in the longer term, ground, air and increasingly in the asymmetric warfare space, that will first ensure our own survival but then push the message of stability into the wider space, crucially hand in hand with our European and world partners.
Sir Keir Starmer's visit to the returning submarine and a public show of support for the new Dreadnought Class is strategically vital. Let's be honest: the crew of a submarine returning from an extended patrol are not particularly interested in the VIP that greets them on arrivals, whatever kind words of thanks are bestowed. What is fundamentally more important is the message it sends.
The subsequent visit of Starmer to Barrow-in-Furness sent an equally powerful message. It is home to BAE Systems, Britain's defence industry giant, where the new class of deterrent submarines is being built. Thousands of people are involved in one of the most complicated engineering projects on the planet. A public show of support is crucial to reaffirm our credibility with the world's other major players.
Starmer has certainly raised his game since President Trump's unacceptable treatment of President Zelensky. He has become the voice of rational Europe, who, it would seem, has finally woken up to the fact that the USA is not a substitute for having domestic defence capability. For too long we have replaced the first duty of government – to defend its people – with an insurance policy written on the peace dividend of the Second World War of the most powerful nation on earth at our backs. That dividend has run out and we will, quite rightly, have to bear that burden ourselves.
It comes down to the fundamental principle that the UK must be militarily strong to be seen as able both to defend ourselves and to help keep the greater peace. We must enhance our defensive position with the proper investment and create our capability across all fronts once again: something that has been whittled away to dangerous levels over the past 30 years. It will be painful financially but we have no choice. If we play the geopolitical game we must pay the entry fee to do so. We continue to put ourselves on that stage. Given the removal of our trans-Atlantic security blanket, we have to find the means to do this ourselves. It is a lot cheaper than the alternative.