Jason Ford

Nuclear submarine returns to base with fault

News

HMS Astute, the first of seven new Astute-class nuclear-powered hunter killer submarines, had to return to its base at Faslane after a minor fault was detected while it was undergoing sea trials on Friday 10 December.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told The Engineer that the Astute is currently still at Faslane, where the cause of the defect is being investigated.

While the MoD would not comment on the possible cause, the Mail on Sunday reported that experts had identified a fault in the steam plant, which affected the propulsion and the desalination system that makes sea water drinkable for the vessel’s 90 crew members.

The MoD added that Friday’s fault is not linked with a defect that saw HMS Astute run aground off the Isle of Skye on 22 October this year.

Neil Lauderdale, a spokesman for BAE Systems, the company that built the Astute, said technical problems during sea trials were not unexpected.

‘It’s important to remember that the whole purpose of sea trials is to take the boat out to test its systems and capabilities and then iron out any issues that do occur during that,’ he said.

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