The British Royal Navy last night on Friday set up an urgent official inquiry into why HMS Astute, the world’s most advanced submarine, ran aground in familiar waters during an exercise off the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland.
The accident is particularly embarrassing as it involves a state-of-the art vessel, the largest British nuclear-powered attack submarine ever built for the navy. It cost £1.2 billion (US$1.88 billion) and is equipped with the latest stealth and sonar technology, making it difficult to detect under the sea.
The boat’s commander, Andy Coles, will face a service inquiry and could be court-martialed. Crew members could be charged with performing a duty negligently or “hazarding” a ship through negligence. The cost of repairs could run into millions of pounds.
It is unclear why the Astute’s long, fin-like rudder got stuck in silt and mud in tidal waters as it was transferring men and supplies via a boat moored alongside.
“It was a question of a maneuver going wrong either because of equipment failure or human error,” a navy source said. Coles was described as very experienced. The 7,800 tonne vessel was eventually freed on Friday evening.
A local lifeboatman Ross McKerlich said he was amazed that the submarine went ahead with a crew transfer where it did.
“These big subs normally lie six miles [9.5kms] off Kyle [of Localsh] ... the submarine is stuck in the middle of two rocks,” he said. “I have never seen a sub as big as this come this close. Someone’s made an error.”
“Everybody who comes through the Kyle knows how shallow it is there. It’s incredible,” he added
As tugs prepared to free the sub, launched by the Duchess of Cornwall in 2007, navy sources said there was no likelihood of a nuclear reactor leak or any other environmental problem. No one was injured in the accident, which happened early yesterday.
The navy has not said whether the submarine, which can carry up to 38 Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes, was carrying weapons — though there is a torpedo testing range nearby.
HMS Astute also boasts “a world beating” sonar system with a range of 5,500km, the navy’s Web site said.
British Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox said the submarine was stable in calm waters and there was “no risk to the public or to those on board.”
However, the Liberal Democratic MP for the area Charles Kennedy said: “It is a cause for concern that these incidents happen, especially in waters that are so regularly navigated.”
John Laing, a local councilor, said there was concern about the incident in light of the government’s proposal to withdraw seagoing tugs in Stornoway on the island of Lewis, and on Shetland.
“The alarming thing is that these tugs are being withdrawn as a savings measure,” he said. “This is exactly the kind of crisis that the tugs are in place to help to respond to.”
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