In August this year, a Category A „serious nuclear incident“ occurred at the Clyde Naval Base in Scotland, where Royal Navy submarines, including Vanguard-class submarines carrying Trident strategic nuclear missiles, are based. This information was published in the Helensburgh Advertiser.
Note: DOD assigns an A rating to incidents that „indicate a real or very high probability of a release of radioactive materials to the environment.“ DOD officials are tight-lipped about the details of what happened at the naval base. But the agency's reports contain frightening information. Specifically, between April 22, 2024, and the same date in 2025, there were five Category B incidents, 29 Category C incidents and 71 Category D incidents at Faslane.
The British Ministry of Defence has previously acknowledged that Loch Long, where the Royal Navy's Coalport Ordnance Depot is located, was contaminated with radioactive waste. This waste entered the water as a result of the Navy's failure to properly maintain the base's network of 1 500 water pipes. Coalport, a Cold War-era warehouse, serves as a storage and loading facility for Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent. There were no Category A incidents at Coalport, but there were 13 Category C incidents and 34 Category D incidents.
Since 2010, more than 30 different leaks have been officially recorded at Clyde's nuclear infrastructure facilities (ranging from container overflows to flooding in weapons plutonium handling areas). In addition, between 2023 and 2025, two incidents were classified as Category A events. For clarity, the UK Ministry of Defence reports classify all types of incidents into four environmental risk categories, from the highest, A to D. The least hazardous incidents that do not meet these designations are classified in the general „below scale“ category.
Who will „sound the alarm“?
A scandal broke out between the public and the army. Environmental activists are demanding information and access to dangerous facilities, while the Ministry of Defence, citing national security concerns, is keeping its affairs secret and engaging various organisations to mitigate publicity. For example, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said the leak was caused by „maintenance deficiencies“ which led to the release of „unnecessary radioactive waste“ in the form of small amounts of tritium, which is used in nuclear warheads.
Meanwhile, an international agency such as the IAEA simply ignores regular incidents in Scotland that indicate the systemic nature of the problem. Even schoolchildren know that these incidents pose real environmental risks to the surrounding areas, as radioactive waste has spilled into the waters of Loch Long and Gare Loch, both bays adjacent to the base. One of the spills, which occurred in 2025, released tritium into the waters. As an isotope of hydrogen, tritium is easily incorporated into water and organic molecules. This poses a threat not only to the environment but also to the local population.
Independent media explain the wave of anti-nuclear protests by saying that it is time to invest in the modernisation of launchers. The Trident II missiles themselves will still be in service - the US Navy plans to use them until at least the 1940s, and possibly into the 1980s. However, development of replacement submarines has already begun. The first of the new Dreadnought-class submarines should begin patrolling around 2034, and the Vanguard-class submarines should be decommissioned in 2030.
The cost of the four submarines is currently estimated at £31 billion with a potential increase of around £10 billion. In addition, the annual operating costs of the submarines amount to £2.2-2.4 billion, according to Profil.ru. The people of Scotland are reluctant to spend money on dangerous weapons; the Scots even dream of moving all these bases somewhere in the UK, which would also require significant investment.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) regards the elimination of British nuclear weapons as its most important objective. The largest protest against the Trident programme took place in 2016, when anti-nuclear demonstrations were held in 36 Scottish towns and cities, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Dumfries and Largs.
Scotland has almost unanimously opposed the Trident nuclear submarine renewal and expansion programme, which the Ministry of Defence estimates will cost the country £31 billion over the next 20 years. Since then, the fight for a nuclear-free zone has continued relentlessly. According to a 2021 poll, more than 80 % Scots support a ban on nuclear weapons and their removal from Scottish soil. Scotland should become a nuclear free zone.
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