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Two nuclear subs collided in Atlantic

Two nuclear subs collided in Atlantic 16.02.2009
Two nuclear submarines – the British Vanguard and French Le Triomphant – collided deep in the Atlantic Ocean in the beginning of February, The Sun reported citing an anonymous source in the British Defense Ministry.

There was no radiation leak and no victim. The submarines had 241 people aboard between them. The collision took place reportedly on February 3 or 4, in open waters in the Atlantic Ocean. The subs carried nuclear warheads.

Last night, the Vanguard was towed to the British naval base of Faslane in Scotland. The Le Triomphant, with quite serious damage, was able to reach the western French port of Brest on its own.

"The potential damage such an accident can entail is inconceivable," the source commented.

"A nuclear explosion was unlikely, but a radioactive leak was a possibility. Worse, we could have lost the crew and warheads. That would have been a national disaster," he added.

The incident is the most serious involving the British Navy since 2007, when the Iranian Navy seized 15 British sailors who had attempted to inspect an Iranian cargo ship, The Sun reported.

According to experts, the probability of two submarines being in the same spot at the same time is very low, but if that happens, the subs might not be able to "see" each other, because of the advanced technology used on them to avoid detection by hydro acoustic means.

Despite the low probability, collisions of submarines are not rare. More than 25 collisions have been recorded since 1967, the BBC reported.

The Vanguard is the point submarine of the Royal Navy. It is armed with 16 Lockheed Trident II D5 ballistic missiles. It was commissioned in 1993. It has a water displacement of 16,000 tonnes, and can develop a speed of up to 25 knots.

The Le Triomphant is also the point submarine of the French Navy. It was commissioned in 1997. It has a water displacement of 14,300 tonnes and can develop a speed of 25 knots. It is armed with 16 M45 SLBM ballistic missiles.

Picture: The British Vanguard and a civilian tugboat (en.wikipedia.org)

Translation: RusNavy.com

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