Nuclear submarines collide in Atlantic

[Oscar]

Nuclear submarines collide in Atlantic

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/1 ... es-collide

Damaged British and French vessels return to base after crash deep below ocean's surface

Rachel Williams, Richard Norton-Taylor and agencies guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 February 2009 GMT

A Royal Navy nuclear submarine and a French vessel have been damaged in a collision deep below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant, which were carrying nuclear missiles on routine patrols, are reported to have collided while submerged on 3 or 4 February. Between them they had about 250 sailors on board.

The Ministry of Defence initially refused to confirm the incident, saying it was not policy to comment on submarine operations. This afternoon the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, issued a statement saying the two vessels hit each other while travelling at very low speeds and no one was injured.

"We can confirm that the capability remained unaffected and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety," he said. The MoD said the Vanguard returned to its base in Faslane, Scotland, with only "scrapes".

Defence officials told guardian.co.uk the two submarines collided in what they said was an extraordinary accident. "They can't see each other in the water," one official said, raising questions about the submarines' sonar and why they did not detect one another.

Opposition parties asked how the accident was possible. The SNP's Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, said: "The UK Ministry of Defence needs to explain how it is possible for a submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction to collide with another submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction in the middle of the world's second-largest ocean.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/1 ... es-collide

[Oscar]

Nuclear Submarine Collision: end Production and circulation of these subs.

PEJnews -Joan Russow – Global Compliance Research Project.

February 17, 2009

After the collision of the nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed submarines the HMS Vanguard and the Le triomphant, there must be a global prohibition of the production and circulation of these submarines. In addition there must be an end to "war games" especially those which have used nuclear powered and nuclear arms-capable submarines as well as nuclear arms-capable air crafts.

www.PEJ.org

While the military claim there were no nuclear leaks, the possibility of future nuclear leaks, or even an explosion, is sufficient evidence to act immediately on the prohibition and circulation of these ships, and invoke the precautionary principle - where there is a threat of a disaster, the lack of full scientific certainty of the threat shall not be used to postpone measures to prevent the threat.

Every year US nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable vessels circulate in Canadian waters and berth in the Canadian ports of Victoria and Halifax. The US has a policy of " neither confirm nor deny" the presence of nuclear weapons on the nuclear-powered vessels.

The US manufactures these vessels in Connecticut. Several years ago, when I contacted NPR radio in Connecticut, and raised the issue of the circulation and berthing of these subs (in) Canadian waters and ports, I was told that the only time there was an issue about these vessels was when there was a fear of job loss.

For the past few years on the coast of British Columbia, NATO, the US and Canada have engaged in War Games, entitled Exercise Trident Fury. Nuclear powered submarines and nuclear arms-capable military aircraft have participated in these exercises.

While the the US, France and England, along with Russia, continually decry the proliferation of nuclear arms capability to other states, they have been willing to endanger the global community through there floating and flying nuclear arsenal.