ESG Press Release
Nuclear Submarines8th August 2013

Given the concerns raised by the MoD itself over the safety of the ageing nuclear submarines, the ESG hopes that these vessels will be decommissioned as soon as possible.

(See article with MoD report below)

Guardian Article in Chronicle

UK’s ageing subs a danger, says The Guardian

Britain’s ageing hunter-killer nuclear submarines are suffering mounting technical problems that could endanger the safety of sailors and the public, a report from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has warned. The revelations were made in The Guardian newspaper.

It said that five Trafalgar-class submarines, between 22 and 29 years old, are running into reliability issues with the reactors that power them, increasing the risk of cracks, pipe failures and radiation leaks. The oldest, HMS Tireless, leaked radioactive coolant from its reactor for eight days in February. This was the submarine that was stranded in Gibraltar for a year from May 2000.

At the moment the problems are being effectively managed, says the report from the MoD’s internal safety watchdog, the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR). But it has issued a new amber warning that attention is required to ensure maintenance of adequate safety performance”.