Russian warships and British and French nuke subs incidents off the Atlantic coast

[David Guyatt]

Coincidence or something else?

http://dinglenews.blogspot.com/2009/02/w...s-off.html



Warships and nuclear submarine incidents off the coast
Russian War-Ships leaking oil 50 miles off coast
British and French Nuclear Submarines collide in Atlantic
Just what is happening on our doorstep?

Living on the Dingle Peninsula, the Atlantic Ocean is an all encompassing force in our lives and is, quite literally, all around us. No matter where you are in Corca Dhuibhne, the sea is never too far away. However lately it seems that the South-West Coast has become something of a war zone. Do any of us look out to sea and expect a Russian warship to be lurking nearby? Or perhaps a British nuclear sub with 40 nuclear weapons on board? Or indeed a French submarine colliding underwater with an "object" their defense ministry refuses to identify? This isn't the plot of some Tom Clancy novel, no, this is what is happening on our doorstep as we speak.

Up to 300 tonnes of oil was spilled into the Atlantic 50 miles off the South West coast on Saturday as two Russian War-Ships were refuelling. The Irish Coast Guard are in contact with the Russian authorities and are monitoring the spill after being alerted to the incident through a satellite surveillance program run by the European Maritime Safety Agency.

How about that. Now, how about this...

It has also been confirmed that British and French nuclear submarines collided in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month. Britain's HMS Vanguard and France's Le Triomphant (pictured above left) were both damaged in the crash in the early hours of February 4th, but there were no reports of damage to the nuclear parts.

France's defence ministry said that on the 6th of February Le Triomphant, a ballistic nuclear submarine, was damaged when it hit an object under water. It did not identify the object.

The British sub has now been towed to the Faslane base in western Scotland for repair.The two submarines are equipped with sonar to detect other vessels. Both vessels, between them carrying about 250 sailors, were reportedly submerged and on separate missions when they crashed.

Britain's ministry of defence refuses to comment on submarine operations but a spokesman said: 'The UK's deterrent capability has remained unaffected at all times and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety.'
Le Triomphant, one of France's four nuclear-armed submarines, hit the object, said at the time to be probably a container, while submerging, and immediately returned to base at Ile-Longue, near Brest in northwest France.

Each vessel is 150 metres long and 13 metres in diameter, and can carry up to 48 nuclear warheads on a maximum of 16 missiles.France and Britain are two of the world's five declared nuclear powers, along with the US, China and Russia. Some food for thought there eh?

[David Guyatt]

Being of a suspicious mind I continue to wonder if these two incidents are related? The Russian aircraft carrier and associated warships were traveling from exercises in the Med back to their home base and therefore clearly had (or were?) sailing north along the French coast and the Bay of Biscay. The Russians haven't admitted that they were responsible for the oil spill but simply admit there is one.

Meanwhile, it is curious that the apparent collision of British and French nuclear submarines occurred, we are told, in the Bay of Biscay area and news of the event broke on the same day (although attributed to a week or more earlier - if you believe that) as news of the Russian warship oil spill.

Since it would be standard practice for a quiet sub to dog a Russian aircraft carrier battle group and since the battle group was sailing off the French and British coasts, common sense dictates that these two subs may well have been following the Russians.

The question I have, therefore, is whether the oil spill is actually a "bunkering" oil spill or something more sinister?

[Peter Lemkin]

something is WRONG here. These submarines have the MOST sophisticated detections systems of other craft - underwater or above and proximity and collision avoidance sub-systems. There is much more here than they are telling to us - the humble public.