A DOCUMENTARY shining a light on the lives of those on board a submarine based near Helensburgh will be broadcast tonight in a TV first.

‘On Board Britain’s Nuclear Submarine: Trident' focuses on the operations and characters within Vanguard Class submarine HMS Vengeance.

Airing on Wednesday, November 4 at 9pm, the show was filmed at the Royal Navy's Scottish headquarters at HMNB Clyde, Faslane.

The single-episode documentary, which will be shown on Channel 5, is a British first, marking the first time that camera crews have been granted access to a UK nuclear missile submarine at sea.

HMS Vengeance is one of four submarines that carries Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent.

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The submarine is home to a crew of 160, who spend months at sea working in complete secrecy.

Viewers can follow the crew members as they prepare for their deployment on Operation Relentless - the longest enduring military operation ever conducted by the UK Armed Forces.

No area of the vessel is off limits to Channel 5 presenter Rob Bell who spent five days and nights on board, exploring the clandestine world of national security and nuclear weaponry.

In the documentary, Rob explores the sonar room, the torpedo bay, the control room and is shown the nuclear missile tubes loaded with deadly warheads.

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