A group of employees from BAE Systems in Barrow were among guests at a ceremonial event to mark five decades of the UK’s Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) at HM Naval Base Clyde, in Scotland, on Friday.
HRH The Princess Royal joined serving Royal Navy submariners, veterans, families and industry representatives at the event, which is part of a series supported by BAE Systems to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK’s longest-running unbroken military operation, known as Operation Relentless.
The Band of the Royal Marines performed as part of a military parade in front of around 700 visitors.
Among those introduced to the Princess Royal was Barrow-based engineer David Leather. A former submariner who joined BAE Systems in 2016, David met HRH and spoke about his work at BAE Systems and his continuing links to the Royal Navy.
David said: “It was great to meet HRH and if you’ve ever been in the forces it’s like being part of a big family. In some ways it’s as if you’ve never left!”
Elsewhere an exhibition containing pictures of Barrow-built submarines from the past, including the pioneering HMS Resolution, which was the Royal Navy’s first deterrent submarine, and the Vanguard class, which currently carry the UK’s deterrent, attracted significant interest.
You can read more information about BAE Systems’ role in CASD here: https://www.baesystems.com/en/feature/continuous-at-sea-deterrent
