Scotland to receive major share of UK’s £26 billion naval base investment

Today, the British Government announced it would invest £26 billion over ten years to modernise the Royal Navy’s three main naval bases. These are HMNB Clyde, HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth.  

The investment was confirmed by Defence Minister Luke Pollard MP as he visited HMNB Clyde in Scotland yesterday. The funding was greenlit in the recent Defence Investment Plan and is set to be the “largest programme of naval infrastructure investment since the end of the Cold War.”

According to the Government’s statement, the port modernisations will transform bases into “warfighting-ready facilities” able to improve the Royal Navy’s readiness, availability, and lethality.

Among the infrastructure projects is a new Single Living Accommodation.

Scotland is at the centre of investment

The Government repeatedly stressed the role of Scotland and that much of the funds will be spent in the country. HMNB Clyde is the home base of Britain’s ballistic missile nuclear submarines and is at the heart of the Royal Navy’s submarine effort. It is set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the investment.

Luke Pollard MP stated, “We are acting now to ensure our Royal Navy has the bases and infrastructure it needs to be ready to fight. This £26 billion investment is the largest in our naval bases since the Cold War, and Scotland is central to it.”

Faslane is home to the Royal Navy Submarine Service and “will be transformed with £15.1 billion Defence Investment Plan funding into a modern, more efficient base, future-proofed for war-fighting.”

The announcement also stated that the MoD has completed the purchase of Finnart Oil Terminal on the West of Scotland, a move intended to expand the Royal Navy’s “sovereign fuel-holding capacity.”

Navy Outlook welcomed the purchase and wrote, “The UK’s fuel resilience has thinned to a degree that now carries clear defence implications. Refining capacity has collapsed from 18 sites in the 1970s to just four operational.”

Another £20 million is to be invested to revitalise Inchgreen Marine Park, which is one of the largest operational dry docks in the UK. sites today.”

RAF’s P-8 Poseidons to get more sustainment funding

While the bulk of the funds announced are for the Royal Navy, Luke Pollard also confirmed over £240 million in Royal Air Force sustainment contracts benefiting Scotland.

Of this, £115.2 million is being allocated to Boeing Defence UK for a two-year contract extension that will sustain the Royal Air Force’s nine P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. These are operated from Scotland’s RAF Lossiemouth in Moray

The second half of the RAF funding is for the service’s incoming fleet of three E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft. £127.5 million is being allocated to sustain the fleet. The first E-7 Wedgetail recently arrived in RAF Lossiemouth and is now working up to enter active service.