A nuclear-powered submarine which ran aground on a shingle bank yesterday was towed free last night, the Royal Navy said.
HMS Astute was on sea trials when the rudder of the vessel is thought to have become stuck on a shingle bank on the west coast of Scotland at around 8am yesterday.
The incident happened between the mainland and the Isle of Skye.
There were no reports of any injuries and the Ministry of Defence said it was not a “nuclear incident”.
It is believed a crew transfer from the shore to the submarine was being carried out when the incident happened.
The vessel was towed free by a tug at around 6pm and will now be towed to deep water where a survey will be carried out on its rudder.
In June 2007 the mammoth nuclear-powered HMS Astute was named and launched by the Duchess of Cornwall.
A contract worth £3.5 billion was signed for the first three boats in the Astute class but there is no specific figure per submarine.
In August this year, HMS Astute was welcomed into the Royal Navy during a ceremony at Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde.
The submarine weighs 7,800 tonnes, equivalent to nearly 1,000 double-decker buses, and is almost 100 metres (328ft) long.
Its Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles are capable of delivering pinpoint strikes from 2,000km (1,240 miles) with conventional weapons.
The submarine’s nuclear reactor means that it will not need refuelling once in its entire 25-year life and it makes its own air and water, enabling it to circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface.
Built by defence giant BAE Systems at Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, it is the first in a fleet of six which will replace the Trafalgar class submarine.
As the base port of all the Navy’s submarines from 2016, Faslane will be home to the whole Astute class.
Although HMS Astute was pulled off the shingle by a tug she is now operating under her own power, the Royal Navy said.
The vessel will remain overnight in deep water.
Tomorrow she will be assessed and attached to a buoy or remain in deep water, if that is deemed more appropriate, to allow a survey to take place.
The survey will determine whether she can then return to Faslane under her own power or if she requires assistance.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: “It is a continuous process of assessment of the situation.”
Scottish CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) expressed concern at the incident.
John Ainslie, co-ordinator of Scottish CND, said: “This is just the latest in a long line of incidents involving nuclear submarines off the west coast of Scotland. These vessels are regular visitors to the seas around Skye.”
“The Navy has several submarine trials areas near Raasay and Applecross.
“Inquiries into previous incidents have shown an appalling lack of common sense and basic navigation skills on these hi-tech submarines.”
Professor Carl Ross, a lecturer in the mechanical and design engineering department at the University of Portsmouth, worked on the structural engineering of HMS Dreadnought before its launch in 1960.
Asked whether he was surprised by today’s incident, he said: “They shouldn’t go aground. Something has gone wrong. I’m not sure what it is, whether it is man-made or machine-made. It could be either.”
Professor Ross said submarines like the Astute would have an outer casing, around half an inch thick with water either side of it, and a pressure hull, which was around two to three inches thick.
He said if the casing was damaged it “was not a problem” and could be repaired.
On freeing the submarine, he said: “I think they will float it again. They might have to take some of the weight off it, from inside it, to move it. When the high tide comes up they will lift it up and then they can drag it away.”
Asked whether rudders of submarines like the Astute damaged easily, the 75-year-old said: “They do damage easily. The rudders can be caught easily in shallow waters.
“It might even damage quite a lot of it. So it could be expensive to repair.”
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead MSP said: “Ministers are being kept regularly updated of the situation and the Scottish Government is working with SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) to closely monitor developments.
“At this stage there is no indication of damage suffered by the vessel that might lead to a fuel leakage, although close contact is being maintained with the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) to keep the situation under review. We have also been advised by the MoD that there is no damage to the reactor or leakage of radioactivity from it.
“This incident does bring into very sharp focus the regrettable decision by the Department for Transport earlier this week to dispense with the four emergency towing vessels stationed in particularly sensitive locations around the UK coast.
“One of those vessels has been tasked with assisting the refloating of HMS Astute and today’s developments raise serious questions about the decision to scrap them.”
96 METRES LONG AND ALMOST SILENT
Launched on June 8, 2007, she can make drinking water and oxygen from sea water so she can circumnavigate the planet without resurfacing.
Her 96m hull is coated with 39,000 rubber tiles which make her virtually impossible for an enemy to hear
She makes less noise than a baby dolphin and has silent flush lavatories.
Astute’s listening systems are so sophisticated she can detect the QE2 leaving New York from the Channel.
She can carry 38 Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes and Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, which can pinpoint targets in North Africa from Portsmouth.
She can travel at more than 20 knots.
Five chefs serve 98 crew 18,000 sausages and 4,200 Weetabix for breakfast on a 10-week patrol.
