Nuke subs collide

[Lovelee]

A British and a French submarine, both of them nuclear-powered and carrying nuclear weapons, collided in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month, the Sun newspaper reported.

It said the HMS Vanguard and France's Le Triomphant were both damaged in the incident, but there were no reports of damage to the nuclear parts.

The British sub has now been towed to Faslane in Scotland for repair.

Both vessels - between them carrying about 250 sailors - were submerged and on separate missions when they crashed on February 3 or 4. Each is 150m long and 13m in diameter, and can carry up to 48 nuclear warheads.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10557119&ref=rss


Hey - they say nothing about this when all is sposed to be fine - no worries - if there was ever any danger - we would have been told!!

[Lovelee]

LONDON - Nuclear submarines from Britain and France collided deep in the Atlantic Ocean this month, authorities said in the first acknowledgement of a highly unusual accident that one expert called the gravest in nearly two decades.

Officials said the low-speed crash did not damage the vessels' nuclear reactors or missiles or cause radiation to leak. But anti-nuclear groups said it was still a frightening reminder of the risks posed by submarines prowling the oceans powered by radioactive material and bristling with nuclear weapons.

The first public indication of a mishap came when France reported in a little-noticed Feb. 6 statement that one of its submarines had struck a submerged object - perhaps a shipping container. But confirmation of the accident only came after British media reported it.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10557161&ref=rss

[Lovelee]

Defence chiefs are facing an inquiry into the safety of Britain's nuclear deterrent after British and French submarines, each laden with missiles powerful enough for 1248 Hiroshima bombings, collided while submerged in the mid-Atlantic.

HMS Vanguard, the lead boat of Britain's fleet of four V-class submarines armed with Trident nuclear missiles, limped back into its home port of Faslane in Scotland on Saturday showing significant damage. Witnesses said the hull was scarred with dents and scrapes.

The weather was rough in the middle of the night of February 3 and 4 when the British submarine, which was carrying 135 crew, struck Le Triomphant, the flagship of the French nuclear strike force, destroying the French vessel's fibreglass sonar dome, which juts out from the bow and, among other tasks, is supposed to detect other submarines.

In London, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) tried to maintain its policy of secrecy about the movements of Britain's nuclear fleet, but it was forced to confirm the collision after the French Navy posted details of the accident on its website.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10557304&ref=rss

[donquixotenz]

buggers were probably playing cat and mouse and antidetection gear is too good.............and.or a good dose of brinkmanship by the commanders.