First Sea Lord Admiral George Zambellas made the case while speaking to a national news organisation on Tuesday morning, April 15 — the same day the Secretary of State for Defence Sir Philip Hammond visited Glasgow.

The Admiral said dividing the navy would be like ‘pulling threads out of a rope’ creating a much weaker result.

But Stuart McMillan, West of Scotland MSP, hit back claiming Westminster cuts have already weakened Scotland’s defence, with a £7.4 billion underspend in Scotland.

Sir George Zambellas said: “I believe very strongly that, for a premier league navy, respected around the world, with a big responsibility, for us to be divided would be less efficient for both the UK and Scotland.

“The nature of our military construct, infrastructure, basing, people, equipment and the families who support a hard-pressed navy, all of those add up to a construct which doesn’t bear dividing its efficiency, and my job is to provide the navy as efficiently as I can.

“The way we do business means that if you try to pull some threads out of the rope it’s much less efficient, and that applies particularly to the navy because it’s so hard-pressed.

“The UK is deeply respected for its maritime contribution to Nato, with its maritime deterrent through its ships and submarines and marines, and that whole piece is part of Nato’s contribution to security.

“Taking that apart would give us a much weaker result. The two components would not add up to the sum of the whole.” The SNP has said that, in the event of a yes vote, all existing military bases in Scotland would be retained but that the nuclear submarines would be removed from their base on the Clyde at Faslane.

At the moment, there are 16 ships and submarines, and two Royal Marine commando units based in Scotland.

Stuart McMillan, MSP, added: “Service personnel has also been cut by 27.9 per cent in Scotland as compared to 11.6 per cent across the UK.

“There are currently no ocean going surface vessels based in Scotland and no maritime reconnaissance aircraft which is unacceptable.

“As we’ve indicated, in the White Paper, an independent Scotland will set its own defence and security budget and maintain strong conventional defence forces to protect its people, territory, seas, airspace and national interests. “This will mean Faslane will continue as the principal conventional naval facility for Scotland, something I look forward to seeing if, and when, the people of Scotland vote Yes on September 18.” However, Jackie Baillie, MSP for Helensburgh and Lomond is urging nationalists to ‘sit up and listen’ to the head of the Royal Navy.

She added: “Defence is one of the best examples of how we are stronger when we pool our resources across the United Kingdom. Scottish service personnel work alongside their colleagues from England, Wales and Northern Ireland to keep our borders safe.

“People in Helensburgh and Lomond are proud of our strong links with the Royal Navy and the thousands of jobs which depend on the base at Faslane. We don’t want to throw all this away by breaking up the UK and our Armed Forces.”