Navy sub's radiation leak scare

BRITAIN’S nuclear fleet suffered a dangerous setback last night after a submarine was docked for emergency repairs following a ‘radiation incident’.HMS Tireless may face up to ten months in dry dock at Devonport naval base where, last night, engineers were “planning” repair works.

Her absence from operations has reduced Britain’s hunter-killer fleet to just five submarines instead of the recommended seven plus a spare needed to carry out vital duties, including protecting the UK’s Trident missile-carrying Vanguard submarines. Of those five HMS Astute, Britain’s brand new £1.2bn attack sub, is still not fully operational, and at least one other is undergoing maintenance.

The dramatic incident happened as the, 4,800 tonne Trafalgar class submarine was taking part in a training exercise for new officers off the west coast of Scotland ten days ago.

Navy chiefs ordered it to limp back to the Royal Naval submarine base at Faslane on the Clyde, where engineers inspected the ageing 30-year old reactor system.

It comes just weeks after the ballistic nuclear-powered submarine HMS Vigilant was stranded in the United States after its rudder broke during a deployment after a £350 million mid-life refit.

Launched in 1984, HMS Tireless was due to decommissioned from the fleet this year, but her service was extended for another four years due to the delay in the roll out of the new Astute class submarines.

The boat made naval history in 2011 when she returned to Plymouth after a ten-and-a-half-month deployment east of Suez, the longest for a Royal Naval submarine.

However it is the second time that “HMS Tired”, as she has been dubbed, has been forced to spend almost a year out of action due to reactor problems.

In May 2000 she was stranded at Gibraltar, where she stayed for 12 months, after being forced to make an “emergency call’ at the port following a radiation leak during a patrol in the Mediterranean.

It was later revealed that the submarine’s pressurised water reactor had suffered a crack in its coolant system, which could in a worst-case scenario result in the uranium rods being exposed.

Both Gibraltar and Spain lodged protests to the British government about the dangers posed, and Royal Navy maintenance workers forced to run a daily gauntlet through protestors as they battled to repair her. Repairs were thought to cost in the region of £200 million.

Earlier in 1993 the submarine suffered a minor fire aboard, then in 2007 a fire broke out when the submarine patrolled was under theSpeaking last night former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West said: “Clearly it is important to be cautious when dealing with nuclear submarines.

“However, it is a fact that T-class submarines are old, with operating systems designed more than 30 years ago. Because of problems in ordering the new Astute class submarines, they are replacing T-Class boats later than one would have hoped.

“We just can’t afford problems like this. We need to have eight SSNs in our locker to be able to carry out the tasks required, of which one is always undergoing deep maintenance.

“Now it looks a though we are dropping to as low as five.

“The problems with running with such tight numbers is that if there’s suddenly a problem like this, it effects operational capability.”

Andy Smith of the UK National Defence Association, said: “The problems with HMS Tireless illustrate the folly of trying to have 'defence on the cheap' and failing to upgrade or replace equipment due to political short-sightedness and a defence policy dictated by the treasury rather than the military.”

A Royal Navy spokesman said: “HMS Tireless returned to Devonport Naval Base last week for repair following a small coolant leak that was contained within the sealed reactor compartment. There is no risk to the public, the environment or the crew.” Arctic ice cap, killing two sailors Paul McCann and Anthony Huntrod.