Editing Firth of Clyde (section)

===Armed Forces===

[[HMS Gannet (stone frigate)|HMS ''Gannet'']], the Fleet Air Arm Search and Rescue site at [[Prestwick Airport]].  The [[helicopter]]s ([[Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King|Sea King]]) that were based here were used in the rescue and [[airlift]] operations across the United Kingdom.  The base was closed on 1 January 2016, with [[Maritime and Coastguard Agency]] taking over the role.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2016/january/06/160106-gannet-sar-finishes-operations|title=HMS Gannet Search and Rescue unit finishes operations &#124; Royal Navy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-35303937|title=Sea King flight bids Scotland farewell|work=BBC News |date=14 January 2016}}</ref>

====Submarine Squadron 14====

{{See also|Submarine Squadron 14}}

[[Cold War]]; The [[United States of America]] maintained a [[US Navy]] base during the Cold War, in the [[Holy Loch]], off the Firth. Submarine Squadron 14 or SUBRON14, also known as ''Site one, Holy Loch'' was in operation between 1 July 1958, up until the end of the Cold War.  The last deployed Submarine Tender departed the Holy Loch and Firth on 3 March 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.navalsubleague.org/1992/history-of-submarine-squadron-fourteen|title=HISTORY OF SUBMARINE SQUADRON FOURTEEN|first=vidushi|last=tech|date=1 January 1992}}</ref>

[[World War II]]; During World War II, [[Glasgow]] and the Firth of Clyde became the main entry point into Britain for the Allied forces’, including merchant shipping, military personnel, and equipment.  The Firth was used as the assembly and despatch point, for Atlantic convoys. The Firth hosted the United Kingdoms largest naval base for the duration of the war.  In 1942, a underwater oil pipeline was laid across the Firth, [[Operation Pluto]], the world's first deep-water test of this technology.  This was only one of many innovations designed to support air, maritime, and territorial combat during World War II.

{{see also|List of squadrons and flotillas of the Royal Navy}}

The [[Holy Loch]] was used as a base for [[Royal Navy]] [[Submarines]], during World War II. Namely the [[3rd Submarine Flotilla (United Kingdom)]]. [[HMS Forth (A187)|HMS ''Forth'']] was for a time based in the loch as the submarine depot ship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://holyloch.co.uk/page1mam.html|title=Holy Loch - Maritime & Admiralty matters|website=holyloch.co.uk}}</ref>

During both [[World wars]], the [[Cloch Point To Dunoon Anti-submarine Boom]] was in place to protect the upper Firth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/239524/clyde-defences-cloch-point-to-dunoon-anti-submarine-boom|title=Clyde Defences, Cloch Point To Dunoon Anti-submarine Boom &#124; Canmore|website=canmore.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/ClochBoom|title=Secret Scotland - Cloch Boom|website=secretscotland.org.uk}}</ref>