Security

France, Britain in Nuke Sub Scrape

The U.K. and French governments have confirmed that two nuclear-armed submarines collided earlier this month in the mid-Atlantic, prompting calls for further investigation into the mishap. According to both British and French accounts, the HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant collided while underway in the Atlantic earlier this month. While officials on both sides of the […]

Hms_vanguard_april_1994_2

The U.K. and French governments have confirmed that two nuclear-armed submarines collided earlier this month in the mid-Atlantic, prompting calls for further investigation into the mishap.

According to both British and French accounts, the *HMS Vanguard *and Le Triomphant collided while underway in the Atlantic earlier this month. While officials on both sides of the English Channel have downplayed the accident, the London Daily Telegraph reports that both vessels may have been "severely damaged" by the collision.

A week ago, the French navy released a statement saying Le Triomphant had been damaged by a collision with a submerged object, perhaps a container. The accident damaged the vessel's sonar dome, and the sub limped home under its own power. The Guardian reports that the Vanguard (pictured here in 1994) had "visible dents" on her hull as she was towed home.

While no casualties were reported, this counts as a potentially catastrophic incident; both vessels were armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. (If you want to get a sense of how serious this is, go read up on the 1966 Palomares incident, in which a U.S. B-52 carrying four hydrogen bombs collided with an aerial refueling tanker over Spain.) The four Vanguard-class submarines form the core of the U.K. nuclear deterrent; likewise, France's force de frappe includes four nuclear-armed subs.

[PHOTO: Wikipedia]

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