City to adopt new Royal Nav y nuclear submarine HMS Anson

Sunderland has a new Royal Navy vessel to call its own.

Ahead of Armed Forces Weekend celebrations on Wearside, Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council and Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Michael Mordey, confirmed the city’s formal affiliation with HMS Anson, an Astute Class nuclear-powered submarine.

HMS Anson is being built at Barrow in Furness to enter service in 2020.

Coun Mordey said: “It is a great honour, especially on Armed Forces Day, that once again one of Her Majesty’s ships has chosen to be formally affiliated with our city.

“It builds on our longestablished links with the Royal Navy, after our strong affiliation with HMS Ocean, which only came to an end with her de-commissioning, after years of the ship and her crew as part of our community.

“We can all now look forward to establishing a similarly close relationship with HMS Anson and Her Ship’s Company.”

National Regional Commander Northern England & Isle of Man, Commodore Phil Waterhouse (First Sea Lord’s Ambassador for The North of England) added: “The Royal Navy is delighted to announce this latest formal affiliation with Sunderland.

“Sunderland has a proud maritime and naval history and has always had an affinity and close relationship with the Royal Navy, most notably through the association the people of the city had with HMS Ocean.

“We hope that we can achieve a similarly close relationship between Sunderland and HMS Anson as it becomes formerly affiliated with the city, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial future together.”