A Royal Navy submarine equipped with Trident nuclear missiles suffered a massive failure that caused the ship to dive to the crush depths, it has been reported.
The Vanguard-class submarine was carrying 140 crew members when its depth sounder suddenly failed during a mission in the Atlantic Ocean.
It caused a frantic squabble in which engineers managed to stop the submarine and nuclear reactor from sinking further just before disaster struck.
The deep-sea vessel, carrying Trident 2 missiles, was on patrol when its depth indicators stopped working. The crew mistakenly believed it was level, when in reality it was diving deeper into the ocean.
It was only when engineers found a second gauge at the back of the submarine indicating they were heading towards the ‘danger zone’ that they raised the alarm.
The Vanguard-class submarine was carrying 140 crew members when its depth sounder suddenly failed during a mission in the Atlantic Ocean, it was reported. Pictured: Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard
Vanguard submarines have the capacity to house 192 nuclear warheads, but are currently limited to 48
“It’s not the engineers’ job to check the depth of the submarine, but they saw how deep they were and realized something was wrong,” a source said. The sun.
“Technically the submarine was still at a depth where we know it can operate, but if it ever has to go that deep, the entire crew will be diverted to action stations.
‘That didn’t happen. The submarine should not have been there and was still diving. And if it had continued like this, you wouldn’t really have to think about it anymore.’
Although it is not known what depth the submarine reached, the maximum operational depth of this type of ship is approximately 500 meters, according to Military Today.
The incident prompted an immediate investigation, insiders told the newspaper, adding that it had no impact on Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
It is not known which of the four Vanguard-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines were involved in the terrifying ordeal.
The force’s four ships – HMS Vanguard, Vengeance, Victorious and Vigilant – each displace 15,900 tonnes when submerged and are more than 149 meters long.
Since 1969, at least one Royal Navy submarine has patrolled with nuclear missiles in case of a sudden attack
However, only two of the ships are currently in use, while one is being converted and another is undergoing sea trials.
Since 1969, at least one Royal Navy submarine has patrolled with nuclear missiles in case of a sudden attack.
Vanguard submarines have the capacity to house 192 nuclear warheads, but are currently limited to 48.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said: ‘Our submarines continue to meet their commitments, deploying on operations worldwide, protecting national interests and keeping us and our allies safe.
“While we do not comment on specific details regarding submarine operations, the safety of our personnel is always our top priority.”