tagged w/ Nuclear Submarine
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India has launched its first nuclear submarine. And the US is close to a deal that would allow India to re-process spent US nuclear fuel. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Henry Sokolski, of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, who is concerned about both developments.
CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE....India has launched its first nuclear submarine. And the US is close to a deal that... more
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200 miles off the US East Coast, Russian attack submarines are at sea to see what the can see. These aging Akula class nuclear powered subs ("Akula" is the NATO reporting name, the Russian name is "Schuka-B") have good sensors, and are designed mostly for attacking shipping or covert strikes at American capital ships. These aren't "boomers" - the subs that launch nuclear weapons.
So... why? Well, the simplest answer is to get press for a popular product that Russia is trying to sell more units of. Early models of Akula were produced in the early '80s, while many upgrades have brought the Akula into the 1990s. Many countries buy ships from Russia, and attack subs are a primarily defensive weapon - used to attack supply lines of invaders, or to attack an enemy that controls the seas, perhaps with an aircraft carrier.
Now that Russian politicians are rediscovering the power of blind nationalism, it's also possible that this is just Russian retaliation for the constant American naval presence around Russian territorial waters. In light of this fact, the American military has said that Russia is acting within its rights and within the rights of every nation (*cough cough American boomers*) to sail in international waters off any country's coast.200 miles off the US East Coast, Russian attack submarines are at sea to see what the... more
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HMS VANGUARD
Launched in 1992
One of four British submarines carrying Trident nuclear missiles
Displacement (submerged) 16,000 tonnes, 150m (492ft) long
Can carry 48 nuclear warheads on a maximum of 16 missiles
Full crew is 145, including 14 officers
Submerged speed of 25 knots
LE TRIOMPHANT
Launched in 1994
One of four French ballistic missile nuclear-powered subs
Displacement (submerged) 14,000 tonnes, 138m (452ft) long
Can carry 16 ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads
Full crew is 110, including 15 officers
Submerged speed over 25 knots
A Royal Navy nuclear submarine was involved in a collision with a French nuclear sub in the middle of the Atlantic, the MoD has confirmed.
HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant were badly damaged in the crash in heavy seas earlier this month.
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band said the submarines came into contact at low speed and no injuries were reported.
Both the UK and France insisted nuclear security had not been compromised.
Factfile: HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the incident was "incredibly embarrassing" for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
She said HMS Vanguard, with "very visible dents and scrapes", was towed back to its home base at Faslane on the Firth of Clyde.
The submarines are equipped with sonar to detect other vessels nearby but our correspondent said it be might the case that the anti-sonar devices, meant to hide the submarines from enemies, were "too effective".
"This is clearly a one-in-a-million chance when you think about how big the Atlantic is," she said.
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.
They were carrying around 240 sailors between them. A French naval spokesman said the collision did not result in any injuries to the crew.
Le Triomphant is based at L'Ile Longue near Brest, north-west France. HMS Vanguard arrived back in Faslane on Saturday.
On 6 February, France's defence ministry had said that Le Triomphant "collided with an immersed object (probably a container)" when coming back from patrolling, and that the vessel's sonar dome was damaged.
But in a subsequent statement, it admitted that the collision between the two submarines took place.
"They briefly came into contact at a very low speed while submerged," the statement added.HMS VANGUARD
Launched in 1992
One of four British submarines carrying Trident... more
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Twenty people died and more than 20 were injured in an accident aboard a Russian nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean, the navy said Sunday, in the worst submarine disaster since the Kursk sank eight years ago.
Twenty people died and more than 20 were injured in an accident aboard a Russian... more
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MOSCOW (Reuters) - More than 20 people were killed and another 21 injured in an accident aboard a Russian nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean, the navy said on Sunday, in the worst submarine disaster since the Kursk sank eight years ago.
A Russian naval spokesman said 208 people were on board the submarine when an accident involving the activation of a fire extinguishing system occurred during sea trials. He said the nuclear reactor was intact and radiation levels were normal.
But the death toll makes it the worst mishap for the accident-prone Russian navy since the Kursk nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea in 2000 with the loss of all 118 sailors.
"More than 20 people were killed on a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean during routine testing as a result of the unsanctioned functioning of the fire extinguishing systems," the navy spokesman, Igor Dygalo, said by telephone.
"The reactor section (of the submarine) is working properly," he said. "The radiation levels on the ship are normal."
Dygalo did not give the name or class of the submarine or specify where it was located. Some of those killed were from a shipbuilding company, he added. He said a Russian destroyer was taking the injured to the Far East coast.
President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the Defense Ministry to carry out a full inquiry into the causes of the accident, the Kremlin press service said.
Former Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who had been president for just a few months at the time of the Kursk disaster, was criticized at home for his slow reaction to that incident.
Russia's navy has suffered a string of fatal accidents, despite sharp increases in funding and Kremlin attempts to use its largely Soviet-era fleet to project an image of strength abroad and at home.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - More than 20 people were killed and another 21 injured in an... more
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MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- An accident aboard a nuclear-powered Russian navy submarine doing a test run in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday killed more than 20 people, the navy said.
The nuclear reactor aboard the submarine was operating normally and radiation levels were normal, navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said on Sunday.
The accident occurred when a fire-extinguishing system went into operation in error aboard the submarine, Dygalo said. He said the dead included sailors and shipbuilders.
The submarine was heading back to shore on its own power, and 21 people injured in the accident were evacuated to a ship that was escorting the sub. There were 208 people aboard the vessel.
The state-run RIA-Novosti news agency cited an unnamed official in Russia's Pacific Fleet as saying the accident occurred toward the bow of the submarine and that there was no threat to the nuclear reactor, closer to the center.
Dygalo would not name the submarine or say exactly where the accident took place.
RIA-Novosti cited an unnamed official at the Amur Shipbuilding Factory as saying the sub was built there, is called the Nerpa and was on a test run in the Sea of Japan when the accident occurred.
The official said the sub was heading for a base in the Primorye region, which includes the port city of Vladivostok.
According to RIA-Novosti, testing on the submarine began last month and it submerged for the first time last week.
MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- An accident aboard a nuclear-powered Russian navy submarine... more
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More than 20 people have died in an incident onboard a Russian nuclear submarine after the fire extinguishing system unexpectedly went off. The tragedy took place during routine tests of the submarine belonging to Russia’s Pacific Fleet.
Aide to Russia's Navy Chief Igor Dygalo said the submarine has not been damaged and there is no outbreak of radiation. Further tests to be conducted on the submarine have since been cancelled.
More than 200 people were onboard the vessel at the time. Among those killed are workers of a shipyard and military servicemen.
The distressed submarine is now moving to a temporary base. It is being escorted by an anti-submarine ship and a rescue vessel.
In addition 21 people, some of which are seriously injured, have been evacuated from the submarine.
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev has instructed the Defence Ministry to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the accident, and provide the necessary assistance to the victims’ families.More than 20 people have died in an incident onboard a Russian nuclear submarine after... more
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A British nuclear-powered submarine was damaged when it collided with rocks in the Red Sea, the Ministry of Defence said.
HMS Superb hit an underwater rock on Tuesday and damaged its sonar equipment, forcing it to surface.
None of the crew was hurt and the submarine was not taking on water, an MoD spokesman said.
Superb, a Swiftsure-class attack submarine with a crew of 112, hit an underwater pinnacle 80 miles south of Suez. The 272-foot vessel had passed through the canal and was in the northern Red Sea when she grounded. No other vessel was involved.
A British nuclear-powered submarine was damaged when it collided with rocks in the Red... more
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