THE Royal Navy is celebrating half a century since the start of the longest operation ever carried out by the UK’s armed forces with a year of commemoration.

2019 marks 50 years since the launch of Operation Relentless – a nuclear deterrent patrol performed around the clock by a submarine from Clyde Naval Base.

Since April 1969, there has always been one submarine from Faslane on patrol and to mark the milestone and honour the commitment of Navy personnel, a series of high-profile public events, including services of thanksgiving in London and Edinburgh, a parade through the home of the deterrent force on the Clyde and a new commemorative award for crew are all lined up.

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Gavin Williamson, defence secretary, said: “For half a century our nuclear submarines have patrolled waters around the world, deterring threats and providing the ultimate guarantee of our security.

“Operation Relentless is truly a national endeavour, from the families and friends who have supported our submariners for the past 50 years, to the thousands of British workers who continue to ensure our boats are among the best in the world.

“As we look to the future, it is important we acknowledge the incredible commitment thousands of men and women have made in the past and continue to make, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

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Britain’s senior sailor First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones launched the year of commemoration by presenting new ‘badges of honour’ to veterans of patrols on a visit to HMS Vengeance – one of the four Vanguard-class submarines needed to provide the continuous at-sea deterrence.

Up to now, submariners who complete a single patrol have been awarded a pewter pin and those achieving 20 or more patrols presented with a gold deterrent pin. The new silver award bridges the gap between the two, being awarded after ten patrols.