RNAD Coulport
Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport, shortened to RNAD Coulport, on Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland, is the storage and loading facility for the nuclear warheads of the United Kingdom's Trident programme.
| RNAD Coulport | |
|---|---|
| Part of HMNB Clyde | |
| Loch Long, Argyll and Bute in Scotland | |
Perimeter fence and buildings at RNAD Coulport | |
RNAD Coulport Location in Argyll and Bute | |
| Coordinates | 56°3′0″N 4°52′48″W |
| Type | Nuclear weapons storage and supply depot |
| Area | 648 hectares (1,600 acres) |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence (Defence Equipment and Support) |
| Operator | ABL Alliance (AWE, Babcock and Lockheed Martin UK) |
| Controlled by | Naval Base Commander, Clyde |
| Condition | Operational |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1963–1968 |
| In use | 1968 – present |
The base, near the village of Coulport, has up to 16 reinforced concrete bunkers built into the hillside on the eastern shore of Loch Long. It is the last depot in Britain to retain the "RNAD" designation, indicating a Royal Naval Armaments Depot.
The depot was established during the Cold War as the storage, maintenance and loading facility for Polaris nuclear weapons. Today, Coulport is mainly used for handling Trident warheads.
Two docks are located on the shoreline at the foot of the hill. There, weapons are loaded onto Vanguard-class nuclear submarines before they go on patrol and unloaded before they return to base at nearby Faslane. An older jetty is known as the Polaris Jetty, while the newer, covered Explosive Handling Jetty (EHJ) is used for handling Trident warheads.