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| Nuclear subs 'collide in ocean' | Nuclear subs 'collide in ocean' |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| A Royal Navy nuclear submarine was involved in a collision with a French nuclear sub in the middle of the Atlantic, it has been reported. | A Royal Navy nuclear submarine was involved in a collision with a French nuclear sub in the middle of the Atlantic, it has been reported. |
| It is understood HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant were badly damaged in the crash in heavy seas earlier this month. | |
| Despite being equipped with sonar, it seems neither vessel spotted the other, the BBC's Caroline Wyatt said. | Despite being equipped with sonar, it seems neither vessel spotted the other, the BBC's Caroline Wyatt said. |
| The UK's Ministry of Defence is not commenting on the reports, but insisted nuclear security had not been breached. | The UK's Ministry of Defence is not commenting on the reports, but insisted nuclear security had not been breached. |
| Our defence correspondent said HMS Vanguard, with "very visible dents and scrapes", had to be towed back into its home base at Faslane on the Firth of Clyde. The submarines were both "seriously-armed", she also said. | Our defence correspondent said HMS Vanguard, with "very visible dents and scrapes", had to be towed back into its home base at Faslane on the Firth of Clyde. The submarines were both "seriously-armed", she also said. |
| HMS VANGUARD Launched in 1992One of four British submarines carrying Trident nuclear missilesWeighs 16,000 tonnes, 150m (492ft) longCan carry 48 nuclear warheads on a maximum of 16 missiles A two-year refit was completed in 2007 as part of a £5bn contractDue to be replaced in 2024 | HMS VANGUARD Launched in 1992One of four British submarines carrying Trident nuclear missilesWeighs 16,000 tonnes, 150m (492ft) longCan carry 48 nuclear warheads on a maximum of 16 missiles A two-year refit was completed in 2007 as part of a £5bn contractDue to be replaced in 2024 |
| The reported incident is being investigated on both sides of the Channel. | |
| The two submarines are key parts of each nation's nuclear deterrent, and would have been carrying missiles, though both the UK and France have insisted there was no danger of a nuclear incident. | The two submarines are key parts of each nation's nuclear deterrent, and would have been carrying missiles, though both the UK and France have insisted there was no danger of a nuclear incident. |
| The two 150m-long (492ft) submarines were carrying around 240 sailors between them. A French naval spokesman said the collision did not result in any injuries to the crew. | The two 150m-long (492ft) submarines were carrying around 240 sailors between them. A French naval spokesman said the collision did not result in any injuries to the crew. |
| HMS Vanguard is now back at Faslane. | HMS Vanguard is now back at Faslane. |
| The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) described the reported collision as "a nuclear nightmare of the highest order". | |
| CND chair Kate Hudson said: "The collision of two submarines, both with nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons onboard, could have released vast amounts of radiation and scattered scores of nuclear warheads across the seabed." |