Water jets train against drones

British sailors aboard nuclear submarines stationed in Scotland are training to repel hostile drones using powerful water jets. The unconventional approach provides inexpensive and environmentally friendly defence for vessels facing potential aerial attacks.

How the hoses work

The Royal Navy equipped Vanguard-class submarines with firefighting hoses featuring handheld nozzles with pistol-style controls. Sailors aim pressurised water at approaching unmanned aircraft to knock them down or divert their flight paths.

Emergency measure only

The hoses serve as emergency protection when drones penetrate existing security arrangements around Britain's nuclear deterrent. Unlike conventional air defence systems, the hoses cannot detect or automatically track incoming drones.

Four billion pound vessels

Each Vanguard-class submarine costs approximately four billion pounds and carries Trident II D five ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. Their reliance on water-based protection is particularly striking given their strategic importance.

You have to use what you've got

A Royal Navy source acknowledged the limitations of firefighting equipment against airborne threats but said when in a dire situation, you have to use what you have got.

“you have to use what you've got”

Vulnerable location at Clyde

HMNB Clyde occupies a location beside Gare Loch, a relatively confined Scottish waterway measuring approximately one kilometre across at certain points.

Four hundred seventy million security boost

The Ministry of Defence announced four hundred seventy million pounds in additional expenditure over four years to improve security across Britain's military facilities.