Free Republic

The Defence Secretary was in Scotland today to watch an enormous bridge section fitted to the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier. During a visit to Rosyth shipyard, Mr Hammond oversaw the 700-tonne section being lifted into place on the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Nearly two thirds of the ship has now been built and the structure is due to be completed by the end of this year. The carrier is then expected to leave the dockyard in 2014 before beginning sea trials with the Royal Navy. The forward island, fitted today, houses the bridge where the captain and navigation...

For 15 years she has proudly served her country as a Royal Navy engineer, risking her life in Afghanistan when she fought against the Taliban. But far from showing Nicky Howse the respect she deserved as she flew back to her latest posting, Virgin Atlantic staff chose to humiliate her – by demanding that she remove her uniform because it was ‘offensive’. They warned the 32-year-old helicopter technician she would not be allowed to fly unless she took off her combat fatigues and wore a sleep suit instead. -snip She was confronted by a G4S security guard and Virgin Atlantic...

For 15 years she has proudly served her country as a Royal Navy engineer, risking her life in Afghanistan when she fought against the Taliban. But far from showing Nicky Howse the respect she deserved as she flew back to her latest posting, Virgin Atlantic staff chose to humiliate her—by demanding that she remove her uniform because it was “offensive”. They warned the 32-year-old helicopter technician she would not be allowed to fly unless she took off her combat fatigues and wore a sleep suit instead. … They told her—wrongly—that it was the company’s policy not to allow military personnel...

British Destroyer to Participate in U.S. Missile Defense Trials Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers could join future missile intercept testing conducted by the U.S. missile defense agency (MDA), the British Ministry of Defence announced. MOD have teamed with UK industry-run Missile Defence Centre (MDC) to support the integration of Type 45 destroyers and its primary Sampson radar, as a sensor supporting ballistic missile defense networks. The Sampson radar is part of the vessels’ Sea Viper air and missile defense system. These tests will task the Sampson radar in detecting and tracking ballistic targets but will not include actual intercepts of...

Royal Navy's new radar revealed Updated: 06:42, Wednesday March 6, 2013 A new radar that can detect a tennis ball travelling at three times the speed of sound from more than 15 miles away has been fitted to a UK Royal Navy warship. The Artisan system, which was developed by BAE Systems, was installed on HMS Iron Duke, a Type 23 frigate. BAE says the medium range 3D surveillance radar is five times more efficient than any other radar currently used by the fleet. HMS Iron Duke is the first ship in the class to have received the new radar...

'These new computer-generated images put into context the huge scale of the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy. The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) has released a series of powerful posters illustrating the sheer size of the warships. The computer-generated images show the warships dwarfing some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. Another notable poster is of the under-construction HMS Queen Elizabeth berthed alongside in Portsmouth, Hants. The ACA is a consortium of defence companies behind the construction of Portsmouth's newest carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. Ian Booth, programme director of the ACA, said: 'These...

Prince Harry has been deployed to Afghanistan for four months, the Ministry of Defence says. The prince, an Apache helicopter pilot, arrived on Thursday night at the main British base, Camp Bastion in Helmand. The 27-year-old, who is third in line to the throne, will take part in combat missions against the Taliban. It is his second Afghanistan deployment - he spent 10 weeks in Helmand province in 2007-08 but was pulled out after media reported his secret deployment. Captain Wales, as he is known in the military, arrived as part of the 100-strong 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment, Army Air...

BOSTON (AP) -- The U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned warship will sail under its own power for just the second time in more than a century to commemorate the battle that won it the nickname "Old Ironsides." The USS Constitution, which was first launched in 1797, will be tugged from its berth in Boston Harbor on Sunday to the main deepwater pathway into the harbor. It will then set out to open seas for a 10-minute cruise. The short trip marks the day two centuries ago when the Constitution bested the British frigate HMS Guerriere in a fierce battle during the...

Cutting missile system leaves warships at risk The Royal Navy’s warships will be vulnerable to enemy attack after a key project that allows ships to fire each other’s weapons was dropped. The revolutionary Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), which has taken 12 years to plan and already cost £45 million, would have allowed ships tracking a low-flying jet or missile to pass the data to the targeted vessel, allowing it to launch defensive missiles, or for them to be launched by remote control. The decision was criticised by a Navy commander who said it could mean placing the new billion-pound aircraft...

Bristling with cutting-edge technology and carrying an awesome array of weaponry, the Royal Navy’s new destroyer HMS Dauntless is said to be one of the world’s most sophisticated and powerful warships. But the £1 billion ($1.61 billion) vessel was left helpless and stranded—when a £10 ($16) fuse apparently blew. Dauntless was left without power and plunged into darkness. According to one source on board, the ship was ‘drifting for several minutes’ before the fault was corrected. No official cause for the problem has been given, but Navy insiders suggested that the fuse blew because a complicated water-cooling system had not been...

LONDON (AP) — Britain's defense secretary is ditching proposals to buy a particular type of F-35 Joint StrikeFighter — reverting to an original plan previously criticized by Prime Minister David Cameron. Defense Secretary Philip Hammond told lawmakers Thursday that Britain would no longer purchase F-35c variants of the Lockheed Martin Corp. fighter jet because the cost of modifications to ships needed to accommodate the plane would be about 2 billion pounds ($3.2 billion). The jet's design — which does not include vertical take-off and landing — means aircraft carriers would need to be fitted with catapults and arrester gears. Hammond...

Life on Royal Navy's Falklands-bound HMS Dauntless It is one of the Royal Navy's most advanced and powerful warships, now on its way to the other side of the world; destination - the Falkland Islands. HMS Dauntless is the largest destroyer ever built for the Royal Navy, made from nearly 3,000 tonnes of steel. Its wide hull helps to support its two massive radar. This Type 45 destroyer is radically different in design from earlier warships. The sleek, angled lines means it appears no larger than a fishing boat on another ship's radar. It is the navy's first stealth warship....

New warplanes 'less capable', secret paper shows Britain’s Armed Forces will be less able to undertake future military operations with the fighter jets ministers are preparing to buy in a cost-saving exercise, secret defence plans have revealed. The Daily Telegraph has seen a Ministry of Defence document setting out secret contingency planning for future British military operations in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, the Falklands and Africa. The highly-classified report which shows that planners have grave doubt on the jump-jets ministers now want to buy for the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers. David Cameron is poised to approve a decision to abandon...

Cameron in humiliating u-turn on future of Britain's aircraft carriers with return of jump jet David Cameron has agreed to an embarrassing U-turn on the future of the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers. The Prime Minister has decided to reverse a decision on the type of jets due to fly from the two warships. In doing so he has returned to a plan by Labour that he once derided as an ‘error’. Senior Downing Street sources say Mr Cameron has decided to follow military advice and abandon plans to buy the conventional F-35C Joint Strike Fighter after costs soared by £1.8billion....

Type 26: The future backbone of the Royal Navy 05 April 2012 Brian Johnson, UK business development director at BAE Systems, answers questions about the Type 26 Global Combat Ship Can you provide some detail on the size and makeup of the team involved, their experience levels and the overall working approach to the design process? The team working on the Type 26 programme is currently around 250 strong. The team is centred in Bristol but a large design team is also based at BAE Systems' facility at Scotstoun in Glasgow. The team is a genuine 'rainbow' team comprising of...

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be the new multirole fast jet for the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. It will serve as the strike capability for the new Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier and will partner the Typhoon to form the future fast jet fleet for the RAF. It is a multinational acquisition programme led by the United States in partnership with eight other nations, including the UK. There are three variants of the F-35: F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) The UK selected the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) in...

The Government is poised to perform an about-turn on its choice of plane to fly from two new aircraft carriers that will enter service in 2020. Senior officers have advised the Prime Minister to axe plans to buy the Joint Strike Fighter F-35C after the cost of converting the carriers to use them rose to £2 billion – on top of the £6.2 billion cost of building the vessels. The F-35C is propelled off the deck by a catapult, and "trapped" when it lands. Commanders have formally recommended that the Government buy the F-35B, which operates like a Harrier jump...

Converting HMS Prince of Wales so that it can be used by the Joint Strike Fighter will require significantly less than the £2 billion quoted by officials, the assistant secretary of the US Navy, Sean J Stackley, insisted. In a letter seen by The Daily Telegraph, he told Peter Luff, the defence procurement minister, that the necessary equipment would cost £458 million before installation. Defence experts estimate the installation cost at £400  million. The letter was sent to Mr Luff before the Prime Minister met Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, at an emergency meeting about the carrier on Monday. The...

Scrapping the Trident nuclear missile system would save £83.5bn and many of the jobs at risk could be transferred to alternative defence projects, according to an authoritative study published on Wednesday. An average annual saving of £1.86bn would be made until 2062, it says. The study, commissioned by senior figures from all three main parties, points out that the savings would not be available immediately because cancellation and decommissioning costs would have to be taken into account. The report, by Professor Keith Hartley, a leading defence economist, is published by a commission set up by the British American Security Information...

Building the world's most advanced ships was never going to be plain sailing It’s news to reassure anyone who's worried that the sovereignty of the people and penguins of Port Stanley has been put at risk by government defence cuts. Defence sources have told the Evening Standard newspaper that Britain’s two new Queen Elizabeth class carriers – currently under construction – are ‘unnecessarily large for the needs of the Royal Navy’. 'Unnecessarily large': An artist's impression of a Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier, two of which are under construction for the Royal Navy There is even the suggestion that the...

Daring enjoys ‘truly amazing’ experience working with American carriers 20/03/2012 Britain’s most advanced warship, HMS Daring, has worked with two American aircraft carrier groups as her Gulf mission steps up a gear. The new destroyer has been showing off her air defence and fighter control prowess with the USS Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln and their task groups. Turning away from the most powerful surface ship in the world is the most advanced warship in the Royal Navy. On her maiden deployment, HMS Daring has worked with not one but two US Carrier Strike Groups – here the USS Carl...

Peru cancels visit by British frigate over Falkland Islands Peru has cancelled an upcoming visit by a Royal Navy frigate to the country as tensions between Britain and Latin America mount over the Falkland Islands. HMS Montrose was scheduled to dock at Peru's El Callao naval base this week, but the visit has been cancelled by Peru in a show of solidarity with Argentina. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has criticised Britain’s territorial rights to the Falkland Islands, known in Latin America as the Malvinas. The dispute comes ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war in April,...

It is reported that spiralling costs for the new aircraft carrier programme could force the Government to scrap the cat and trap version of the new Joint Strike Fighter in favour of a jump-jet variant. The Guardian and the Telegraph newspapers both report Defence Secretary Philip Hammond wants a U-turn after projected costs for modifying the carriers to take the F-35C fighters reached as much as two billion pounds. It is understood Prime Minister David Cameron has been warned the carrier programme could be delayed by as much as seven years – or until 2027 – if existing plans are...

A possible UK decision to reverse a variant switch on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would not cause a problem for Lockheed Martin, according to one of the company's senior programme officials. Speculation has mounted over recent weeks that the UK government could backtrack on its decision to shift its interest in the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B to the C-model carrier variant. The move was included as part of its Strategic Defence and Security Review of late 2010, but has prompted concerns over the costs involved with modifying the Royal Navy's future Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers with...

Cost of refitting Royal Navy aircraft carrier trebles The costs of refitting a Royal Navy aircraft carrier so it can be used by a new generation of fighter jets have more than trebled, defence sources have told The Daily Telegraph. Estimates for adapting HMS Prince of Wales so that it can be used by the Joint Strike Fighter are understood have risen from £500 million to £1.8 billion. Millions have already been spent on studies to look at how to convert the ship after ministers decided to scrap the jump-jet variant of the plane in favour of a conventional take-off and landing...

US 'taken aback' by HMS Astute 06 March 2012 The United States Navy was 'blown away' by the performance of HMS Astute during sea trials in the Atlantic recently, the ship's commanding officer has said. Commander Ian Breckenridge, 45, led HMS Astute through four-and-a-half months of sea trials off the US east coast and said the submarine had demonstrated "tremendous capability". "We met and surpassed every expectation. She is just better than any other submarine I have ever been on," he said. During the trials, Astute took part in simulated battles with American Virginia Class submarine USS New Mexico, deep...

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed it is reviewing parts of the programme to build two new aircraft carriers for the Royal navy, throwing doubt over the planned use of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter plane. This decision could have a major impact on BAE Systems, which is involved in the aircraft's development. The cost of the two new Queen Elizabeth class carriers - originally ordered under the last Labour government - have already risen dramatically from £3.5 billion to around £7 billion. Changes ordered by the coalition government could see those costs rise even further. The current confusion is...

UK aircraft carrier plans in confusion as ministers revisit square one Decision expected by Easter on which US joint strike fighter Britain will buy: ministers now want to revert to original choice Britain's troubled and increasingly expensive plan to equip the navy with new aircraft carriers has been plunged into fresh turmoil as ministers consider reversing their earlier decision to change the type of plane that should fly from them, it has emerged. The government announced in last autumn's strategic defence review that it had decided to buy the "cats and flaps" (catapults and arrester gear) version of the US...

France Could Loan Rafales to Royal Navy (Source: defense-aerospace.com; published Feb. 22, 2012) PARIS --- The Anglo-French defense initiative announced last week did not mention bilateral cooperation on aircraft carriers because Britain still has to firm up its intentions in this field, according to France’s top weapons buyer. Lauren Collet-Billon, head of the Direction Generale de l’Armement, said during a Feb. 22 press conference here that Britain still has to finalize its aircraft carrier plans, including major technical options such as the kind of catapults it wants to fit to its new aircraft carriers, and what kind of aircraft these...

Navy buys Korean to keep its ships fuelled: £452m contract for four tankers goes to the Far East By Ian Drury Defence Minister Peter Luff announced yesterday that a £452million contract for the support tankers had been awarded to Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. Critics said the decision was a blow to Britain’s declining shipbuilding industry and to the proud naval tradition of what was once the world’s greatest seafaring nation. They also accused the Government of ‘shameless hypocrisy’ after David Cameron criticised India earlier this month for snubbing British industry when it awarded a £13billion deal to supply 126...

Royal Navy's Next Helicopter Completes Trials on HMS Iron Duke 08:36 GMT, February 20, 2012 The Royal Navy's next generation helicopter, Wildcat, has completed 20 days of demanding trials aboard HMS Iron Duke, laying the groundwork for future operations. Wildcat landed nearly 400 times on the frigate's flight deck by day and night in various weather conditions as the ship sailed off the coasts of southern England and northern Scotland. The Portsmouth-based frigate sought the most challenging weather conditions around the UK as she took the Wildcat - successor to the long-serving Lynx - to sea to help write the...

Britain had to plead with US to take part in Iran flotilla Britain was forced to plead with the US to take part in the flotilla challenging Iranian power in the Gulf after American commanders decided the Royal Navy had nothing to contribute to the mission. Defence sources have revealed that the Americans only relented and allowed a Royal Navy frigate to join the mission following an intervention from Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president. The revelation that US defence chiefs saw little military value in UK participation will raise new questions about Britain’s international clout after Coalition defence cuts. Amid...

The Royal Navy’s most sophisticated warship is being sent to the South Atlantic in a move that will send a powerful message to Argentina. Dauntless will set sail for the Falkland Islands in the coming weeks armed with a battery of missiles that could "take out all of South America's fighter aircraft let alone Argentina's," ... The Type 45 destroyer is the most advanced anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic ship in the world equipped with 48 Sea Viper missiles and the Sampson radar, which is more advanced than Heathrow air traffic control The ship is in a league of its own in...

Royal Navy reveals new supersonic anti-missile system A new air defence system that can destroy enemy missiles travelling at supersonic speeds has been revealed by the Royal Navy. Sea Ceptor missiles fired from warships will reach speeds of up to Mach 3 and protect an area of around 500 sq miles. The £483 million contract to develop the defence system has been awarded to MBDA (UK). The Ministry of Defence said the five-year project would mean continued employment for around 500 workers. Facilities across the UK including at Stevenage in Hertfordshire, Filton in South Gloucestershire and Lostock in Bolton will...

UK considers Rafale and F-18 as 'interim aircraft' 26 January 2012 Ministry of Defence concerns over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have led to military chiefs looking at other fast jets for the UK's aircraft carrier, it has been reported. According to The Times, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, the current commander-in-chief fleet, said concerns were growing about rising costs and delays in the JSF programme, something now worsened by order cuts from the US. Soar, who was addressing defence companies at the ADS Maritime Interest Group, reportedly said the UK might not receive the $100m per piece F-35 jets until...

UKIP: 'UK must build naval Typhoon' 19 January 2012 The UK should cancel the purchase of the F-35C and invest in developing a naval variant of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has said. Lord Alexander Hesketh, UKIP's defence spokesman and former executive deputy chairman of Babcock International Group, said that adopting a naval Typhoon would allow the UK to restore carrier strike capability on its Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers before 2020 while saving money and protecting UK jobs. UKIP estimates suggest it would cost £1.4bn to develop a naval typhoon, with unit costs of around £80m....

Navy's £5bn Harrier jet replacement 'unable to land on aircraft carriers' The Royal Navy's multi-billion pound fighter plane programme is under threat amid claims that its new all-purpose jets cannot land on aircraft carriers, it has emerged. Leaked Pentagon documents claim a design flaw in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has caused eight simulated landings to fail. The “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Concurrency Quick Look Review” claimed the flaw meant that the “arrestor” hook, used to stop the plane during landing, was too close to the plane’s wheels. When a fighter lands on an aircraft carrier an arrestor cable catches...

The Royal Navy has been named in the UK’s top 100 of ‘gay-friendly’ employers based on a major national survey. More than 350 companies, whose workforces total more than 1.9 million people in all – one in every 15 people in employment in the land – took part in the survey by Stonewall, the UK charity which campaigns and lobbies on behalf of lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women. The Naval Service has been one of Stonewall’s ‘diversity champions’ for the past seven years and has taken part in the organisation’s workplace survey since 2006. The RN was placed...

The Royal Navy has captured 13 Somali pirates onboard a sail boat in the Indian Ocean, the Ministry of Defence has said. A combined Nato-led counter-piracy force successfully intercepted the vessel which was known to be operating off the Somali coast. Both Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Victoria and United States Ship Carney manoevered into position around the dhow and encouraged her to comply with the British and American forces. After the boat refused to cooperate, a Royal Navy helicopter with Royal Marine maritime snipers was deployed to provide various clear warnings to the suspects to stop. The boat refused to...

Sailors' farewell to families as new Royal Navy destroyer HMS Daring sets off on maiden deployment to the Middle East By Daily Mail Reporter Heading out to sea from Portsmouth, this is the Royal Navy’s newest and most hi-tech warship setting sail on its maiden deployment. A crowd of family members and well-wishers gathered to wave off HMS Daring as it left its home base for a seven-month mission to the Middle East. The warship is the first of the six new Type 45 destroyers being introduced to the fleet. Daring will take over from a frigate on station east...

The Royal Navy's most formidable warship is being sent to the Gulf for its first mission as tensions rise in the strategically vital region, it can be disclosed. Naval commanders believe the deployment of HMS Daring, a Type 45 destroyer, will send a significant message to the Iranians because of the firepower and world-beating technology carried by the warship.Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, has publicly warned Iran that any blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would be "illegal and unsuccessful".

Britain voices concern over future of F-35 in US WASHINGTON — British Defence Minister Philip Hammond voiced concern on Thursday about possible cuts or delays in the US F-35 fighter program as London plans to equip a future aircraft carrier with the stealthy aircraft. In a visit to the US capital, Hammond said he wanted to hear from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the potential effect of a new US military strategy and budget plan on the future of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. "One of the things I hope to understand in the meetings I am to have later...

SAS target Taliban using Royal Navy submarine technology The SAS is targetting Taliban insurgents and Afghan smugglers in the Helmand desert using Royal Navy technology designed to hunt down Soviet submarines, it can be disclosed. The Daily Telegraph has been allowed access to operations along supply routes that involve radar technology traditionally used to spot periscopes breaking the surface and missiles skimming across wave tops. Using a sack-like device with which helicopters carry the radar equipment, the Sea King airborne surveillance and control (Skasac) can spot camel trains, pickup trucks and insurgents on foot dozens of miles away. The Navy...

<p>Top secret papers are set to prove that the warship Belgrano was heading into the Falkland's exclusion zone when it was sunk, and not heading back to port as the Argentinians claimed.</p> <p>For decades debate and recrimination has raged over where the ship was heading when it was torpedoed by a Royal Navy submarine.</p>

Nuclear submarine should be sent to Falklands to show British anger at boat ban decision A nuclear submarine should be sent to the Falkland Islands to illustrate Britain’s anger at a decision by South American countries to ban boats bearing the island's flag, the former head of the Royal Navy said. Lord West, the former the former First Sea Lord, said Britain should also undertake military exercises in response to the “aggressive” decision by the Mercosur bloc to close ports to ships flying the “illegal” flag. The Foreign Office also condemned the decision by the bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil...

Destroyer keeps watch on Russian carrier 14 December 2011 | Royal Navy destroyer has rushed to intercept a flotilla of Russian ships off Scotland in a return to Cold War tensions. The battlegroup, headed by aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, is understood to have sought shelter from a storm in the Firth of Moray. The Admiral Kuznetsov is en route to Syria, in a show of Russian support for the country’s under-fire regime. Along with destroyer escort she has diverted toward the Scottish coast, apparently to take shelter from North Sea storms. At 65,000 tons the Admiral Kuznetsov is roughly...

The aircraft carriers being built for the Royal Navy will be less useful, take longer to finish, and likely cost more than claimed, a parliamentary watchdog warns. The first, HMS Queen Elizabeth, will be mothballed immediately it is launched in 2016, according to the existing plan. However, the second, HMS Prince of Wales, is not now expected to be fully operational until 2031. Moreover, it will only be able to stay at sea for up to 200 days a year, significantly fewer than envisaged, says the Commons public accounts committee. The MPs' report, out on Tuesday, makes clear the quick...

Defence cuts: Carrier 'fully operational in 2030' Britain may be without a fully operational aircraft carrier until 2030, according to a report published by the Commons spending watchdog. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says two carriers being built will cost more, offer less military capability and be ready much later than planned. It says the Royal Navy will be without a carrier until 2020, which may not be fully operational until 2030. The PAC also says the cost of scaling back the carriers is not fully known. The committee said the adjustments made to the vessels meant just £600m cash...

Navy frigate sent to Libya with four missiles A Royal Navy frigate was sent to the Libyan war zone armed with as few as four missiles, it has been disclosed. Royal Navy officers said HMS Westminster was “dangerously under-defended” when it was called on to patrol close to the Libyan port city of Benghazi in March. The warship can carry 32 Seawolf and eight Harpoon missiles but it is understood that military cutbacks left the Westminster and its crew of 190 with only a fraction of that capability. As Seawolf missiles — which are used to intercept incoming missiles —...

Jinxed submarine HMS Astute finally fires its first missile... and it went without a hitch Chris Slack The jinxed submarine HMS Astute has successfully fired its first missile during a test mission in the Gulf of Mexico, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed The submarine fired a series of Tomahawk missiles at up to 550 miles per hour, a spokeswoman confirmed. Each missile is 5.5-metres in length, weighs 1,300kg and has a range of 1,000 miles. The successful firing comes seven months after a crew member was killed during a shooting incident when the submarine was in dock at Southampton....