William Atkins
Monday, 16 February 2009 20:25
Science -
Energy
Page 1 of 3
French and British government officials confirmed on Monday, February 16, 2009, that a Royal Navy nuclear submarine and a French Navy nuclear submarine suffered major damage due to colliding while on routine military operations in the Atlantic Ocean.
The British submarine identified in the incident is the
HMS Vanguard, while the French submarine is the
Le Triomphant. The incident involved approximately 240 crewmembers.
Both governments are indicating that the incident occurred on February 3 or 4, 2009.
A nuclear submarine employs a power generation system (nuclear reactor) based on nuclear energy, which makes it distinct from a conventionally powered submarine. They also employ a conventional power system (such as diesel fuel) to back up the primary nuclear-powered system. Military nuclear submarines can also contain nuclear warheads for part of its arsenal of weapons.
The
HMS Vanguard, classified as S28, is a uranium-fueled pressurized water reactor submarine within the British Royal Navy. It contains nuclear missiles of the class called Trident ballistic missile.
Based out of the base HMNB (Her Majesty’s Naval Base) Clyde, Faslane, the Vanguard was commissioned on August 14, 1993 and completed updates in June 2004.
It is capable of holding up to sixteen Lockheed Trident II D5 ballistic missiles, which each have a maximum range of 4,000 nautical miles (about 4,600 statute miles, or 7,400 kilometers).
After the collision, the Vanguard was towed into Faslane, Scotland, which is on the Firth of Clyde, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Glasgow, (according to the BBC) with
"very visible dents and scrapes" to its hull. [BBC News: “
Nuclear subs collide in Atlantic”]
Page two reports further on the British side of the collision, along with information on the French submarine.
