Checks for nuclear submarine that ran aground

A nuclear-powered submarine that ran aground on a shingle bank yesterday was towed free last night.

HMS Astute was on sea trials when the rudder of the vessel is thought to have become stuck on a shingle bank on the west coast of Scotland at about 8am yesterday.

The incident happened between the mainland and the Isle of Skye.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There were no reports of any injuries and the Ministry of Defence said it was not a "nuclear incident".

It is believed a crew transfer from the shore to the submarine was being carried out when the incident happened.

The vessel was towed free by a tug at about 6pm and last night was being towed to deep water for a survey to be carried out on its rudder.

In June 2007 the mammoth nuclear-powered HMS Astute was named and launched by the Duchess of Cornwall.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A contract worth 3.5bn was signed for the first three boats in the Astute class but there is no specific figure per submarine.

In August this year, HMS Astute was welcomed into the Royal Navy with a commissioning ceremony at Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde.

Submerged, the boat displaces 4,500 tonnes of water. It is almost 100 metres (328ft) long.

Its Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles are capable of delivering pinpoint strikes from 2,000km (1,240 miles) with conventional weapons.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The submarine's nuclear reactor means that it will not need refuelling at all during its 25-year life. It makes its own air and water, enabling it to circumnavigate the globe without coming to the surface.

Built by defence giant BAE Systems at Barrow in Furness in Cumbria, it is the first in a fleet of six that will replace the Trafalgar class submarines.

After becoming the base port for the Navy's submarines from 2016, Faslane will be home to the all the Astute class vessels.

Yesterday's incident happened almost exactly 50 years after the UK's first nuclear submarine, HMS Dreadnought, was launched by the Queen – on October 21 1960.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although HMS Astute was pulled off the shingle by a tug, she was later operating under her own power, the Royal Navy said.

The vessel was due to remain overnight in deep water.

Today she will be assessed and attached to a buoy or remain in deep water, if that is deemed more appropriate, to allow a survey to take place.

The survey will determine whether she can then return to Faslane under her own power or if she requires assistance.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: "It is a continuous process of assessment of the situation."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Scottish CND (the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) expressed concern at the incident.

Co-ordinator John Ainslie said: "This is just the latest in a long line of incidents involving nuclear submarines off the west coast of Scotland. These vessels are regular visitors to the seas around Skye.

"The Navy has several submarine trials areas near Raasay and Applecross. Inquiries into previous incidents have shown an appalling lack of common sense and basic navigation skills on these hi-tech submarines."

Professor Carl Ross, 75, a lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, worked on the structural engineering of HMS Dreadnought before its launch in 1960.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"They shouldn't go aground," he said. "Something has gone wrong. I'm not sure what it is, whether it is man-made or machine-made. It could be either.

"The rudders can be caught easily in shallow waters.

"It might even damage quite a lot of it. So it could be expensive to repair," he added.