GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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British, French nuclear submarines collide
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/16/british.french.submarine.incident/index.html
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A British Royal Navy nuclear submarine collided with a French submarine while on operations in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month, defense ministries in Paris and London confirmed Monday.
The British Royal Navy submarine HMS Vanguard.
Both vessels, HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant, were armed with nuclear warheads and suffered damage as a result of the collision, which is understood to have occurred on February 3 or 4.
"Two "SNLE" (nuclear submarines), one French and the other British, were, a few days ago, on standard patrols in the Atlantic. They briefly came in contact in a very slow speed while they were immersed. There is no casualty or injury among the crew. Neither the nuclear deterrent mission nor the nuclear security have been compromised," the French Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
In an earlier press release issued on February 6, the Ministry of Defense said the vessel's sonar dome had been damaged in a collision. The vessel was able to return to its base at Ile Longue in Brittany, northwest France, accompanied by a frigate.
The UK's Ministry of Defence also confirmed the incident. In a statement, the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathan Band said the collision occurred during "routine national patrols."
"Both submarines remained safe and no injuries occurred. We can confirm that the capability remained unaffected and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety," Band said.
It's too bad there isn't some sort of technology where two ships could "sense" each other in the water.... maybe similar to what dolphins or bats do... 
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