British and French submarines armed with ballistic missiles threatened a nuclear disaster after colliding in the Atlantic, it emerged last night.
Le Bombe.
The crash is believed to have occurred after state-of-the-art technology fitted in both vessels, which is designed to detect other submarines, apparently failed completely.
You mean boomers were't sailing around the ocean blasting away on their active sonar?
| Someone I'm sure will explain why two friendly boomers were in the same patch of ocean at the same time ... |
Each boat is a key part of their respective countries' nuclear deterrent, ready to unleash hugely destructive weapons at a moment's notice.
While both countries claim that security was not comprised during the collision, wide-scale enquiries are currently underway on both sides of the Channel.
HMS Vanguard, the lead boat of her class in the Royal Navy, had to be towed back to her base in Scotland after the underwater mishap. French Navy sources confirm that Le Triomphant, one of four strategic nuclear submarines of the 'Force de Frappe' (Strike Force), was returning from a 70-day tour of duty when it collided with HMS Vanguard.
Force de Frappe, gotta like that one. Sounds like one of the buttons on the blender.
During heavy seas in the middle of the night between February 3 and 4, French sailors heard a loud 'bang' that all but destroyed the submarine's sonar dome.
and the careers of the captains involved
This part of the boat should have detected the Vanguard in the first place, but Le Triomphant's crew of 101 neither saw or heard anything before the collision.
it's as if they were stealth ships or something...
Between them the submarines had 250 sailors on board.
A senior Navy source told The Sun: 'The potential consequences are unthinkable. It's very unlikely there would have been a nuclear explosion. But a radioactive leak was a possibility. Worse, we could have lost the crew and warheads. That would have been a national disaster.'
As inquiries began, naval sources said it was a million to one unlucky chance both subs were in the same patch of sea.
| Like I said, someone has some 'splaining to do ... |
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'It is our policy not to comment on submarine operational matters, but we can confirm that the UK's deterrent capability has remained unaffected at all times and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety.'
The French last night also tried to play down the collision, with a Navy spokesman saying: 'The collision did not result in injuries among the crew and did not jeopardise nuclear security at any moment.'
Le Triomphant took at least three days to limp back to her home port, although she did not have to be towed. HMS Vanguard, by contrast, apparently had to be towed back to her home base in Faslane, Scotland.
Commanders hate to be towed |