One of the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines limps back to port in Gibraltar after colliding with a merchant vessel.
HMS Ambush, an Astute-class submarine, was "submerged and conducting a training exercise" when it was involved in what the Ministry of Defence described as a "glancing collision" off the coast.
A spokesman said the incident happened at about 1.30pm local time on Wednesday, adding: "The submarine suffered some external damage but there is absolutely no damage to her nuclear plant and no member of the ship's company was injured in the incident.
This close-up shows some of the damage to the submarine
"An immediate investigation is being conducted.
"There are no safety concerns associated with HMS Ambush being alongside."
They added: "We are in contact with the merchant vessel and initial indications are that it has not sustained damage."
HMS Ambush, pictured shortly after it was commissioned into naval service in 2013
The Astute class vessels cost more than £1bn each and weigh in at 7,400 tonnes.
They carry torpedoes, cruise missiles and the Royal Navy has previously said that HMS Ambush is equipped with "world-leading sensors".
When HMS Ambush was commissioned into the Navy in 2013, the then First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, said it was part of a group of vessels that "represent the cutting edge of military technology and the future of UK submarine operations for many years to come".
No comments:
Post a Comment