A Royal Navy officer was killed and another seriously injured after a shooting on board Britain's newest nuclear-powered submarine yesterday.
The shooting happened as local dignitaries, including Mayor Carol Cunio, were on board for an official visit while HMS Astute was docked at Southampton on a five-day goodwill visit.
Sources said an able seaman had fired on the officer with a SA80 rifle after an argument during a changeover of sailors guarding the sub, killing him and injuring another officer in the process.
Ministry of Defence Police tackled the gunman to the ground before handing him over to Hampshire Constabulary yesterday afternoon. One of the submariners was taken to Southampton General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The other died at the scene.
It is the latest incident to plague the £1.2bn submarine, which was launched last year as the most advanced and sophisticated vessel of its kind - only to run aground during sea trials off the Isle of Skye.
"Two Royal Navy personnel have been involved in a firearms incident at Southampton docks where HMS Astute is alongside. Sadly, one has now died as a result of his injuries," an MoD spokesman said last night. "A third Royal Navy serviceman has been arrested by Hampshire Constabulary and is now in custody. This incident was not terrorist-related and there is no threat to the wider public. We are co-operating fully with the police investigation and a Royal Navy service investigation will begin in due course."
A spokesman for Southampton City Council said Mayor Cunio, along with Royston Smith, the leader of the council, and its chief executive, Alistair Neill, were unharmed but had been through a "traumatic experience".
One former serviceman said: "I wasn't a submariner, but I was in the Navy so I understand the pressures of serving on a submarine and understand why something like this possibly might happen. When I was in the Navy, they would give us a gun but wouldn't give us ammunition to put in it. They didn't trust us." HMS Astute, the first of a fleet of six due to replace the Trafalgar class submarine, has a crew of 98.
The 7,800-tonne sub has Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of delivering strikes from 1,240 miles. It also has a nuclear reactor which means it will not need refuelling during its entire 25-year life and it makes its own air and water, enabling it to circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface. Shortly after being commissioned, HMS Astute was the subject of embarrassing headlines when it ran aground on a shingle bank between the Scottish mainland and the Isle of Skye in October. Andy Coles was relieved of his command and replaced by Commander Iain Breckenridge.
It was visiting Southampton on a goodwill visit and was due to host a series of visits from Sea Scouts and local schools. A visitor, Jan Brunning, said yesterday: "It's a very unlucky sub. One could say cursed."
- INDEPENDENT
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.