TRENCHANT Home - the Fleet Submarine TRENCHANT is due “home” after an eleven (11) month (335 day) patrol.  It is believed that this period away from the UK is the longest ever UK nuclear submarine deployment.    The TRENCHANT departed Devonport in June 2012 and has undertaken one of the longest TRAFALGAR Class submarine deployments.   During this deployment the submarine spent 267 days “East of Suez”, continuing the British submarine presence that has been established there since 2001.     During this time the vessel has visited six different ports:

·         East of Suez : Fujairah (UAE), Diego Garcia (the British Indian Ocean Territory), Bahrain and Aqaba (Jordan)

·         Mediterranean ; Souda Bay (Crete) and Gibraltar.

The deployment has spanned 38,800 nautical miles (the equivalent of 1¾ times around the world) and the submarine has spent over 4,700 hours underwater (equivalent of 6½ months).      Of the crew of 170 (of which 130 is the maximum at sea), seven have been ‘Black Watch’ (i.e. have been onboard, and not been home, for the entire trip).