Posted on 05/03/2015 4:03:21 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Royal Navy has just one nuclear powered submarine in operation after the rest of the fleet has been left out of action due to defects and damage.
Four of the Royal Navy's new multi-billion hunter and killer submarines are still in dock at Barrow-in-Furness because of defects that have delayed their production - 15 years after the new ships were first ordered.
Only two of the boats have actively joined the fleet, and one has already had to return to the dock and can only be used for training after more than 50 defects were found.
Just the HMS Astute is currently in active service.
The news comes as authorities in Finland had to fire after a submarine from Russia entered its waters.
It also comes at a time of heightened tensions between Britain and Russia in the airspace over the North Sea and beneath the waves.
Delays in launching submarines from the new fleet, which cost around £1bn each, mean Britain's naval capabilities are having to be bolstered by older ships.
A senior naval source told the Daily Express: 'The problem with having just one submarine on operations is, if it is deployed to Libya, or East of Suez, it leaves us unable to carry out patrols in the Northern Gap, that area of the North Sea prolific with Russian activity.'
Just two submarines in the Astute class - HMS Astute and HMS Ambush – have so far been handed over to the UK Royal Navy, while the remaining five are in various stages of construction.
But HMS Ambush has yet to launch after 57 operational defects were found. The HMS Astute has briefly returned to port for a short break.
The Astute class submarines are armed with both Spearfish heavy torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The Royal Navy's HMS Astute is the only new hunter-killer submarine in active service after four were beset by delays and a fifth cannot be used yet after 57 defects were found
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3065973/Britain-s-Royal-Navy-just-one-nuclear-powered-submarine-active-patrol-five-service-repaired.html#ixzz3Z4YXyUS0 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
But Britain is still current with welfare payments to immigrants. So it’s all good.
Quite. Carry on.
Vanguard-class are still out there.
But they have money to give to Abbas
Maybe the Royal Navy should hire the Germans to build their subs.
Did they hire laid off British-Leyland workers to build these?
Thanks sukhoi-30mki.
A not excessively accurate article.
Active Duty ping. NATO is slipping.
That's kind of what I was thinking. Remember, they have to support all those Muzzies, in order to avoid being called racists. So, they can either have submarines, or have to wear the R word. I guess we can see which one they chose.
There are 4 Trafalgar class submarines in service. The British have been retiring subs after less than 30 years of service.
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