Shooting on nuclear sub injures two

Man arrested after two people wounded in shooting on board HMS Astute in Southampton A man has been arrested today after a shooting on board a nuclear submarine, police said. Two people are believed to have been injured in the incident on HMS Astute, which is docked in Southampton. Hampshire police said the incident was not terrorist-related and there was no risk to the public. Several police vehicles were sent to the Eastern Docks and officers could be seen on the gangway of the submarine. A police spokesman said: “Hampshire police were called by their Ministry of Defence colleagues at 12.12pm today and are currently liaising with them to establish the exact circumstances of the incident. “It is believed two people have sustained injuries as a result of gun shots being discharged on the vessel. People should be reassured there is no risk to public safety. “Hampshire constabulary and the MoD are keen to stress this incident is not terrorist-related. More information will be circulated as it becomes available.” Television news pictures showed police vehicles, fire engines and a helicopter, believed to be the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, on the dockside by the submarine. The MoD referred all calls to Hampshire police. HMS Astute was last in the headlines when it ran aground on a shingle bank between the Scottish mainland and the Isle of Skye and remained stuck for several hours. The incident in October last year cost Andy Coles his command of the submarine . HMS Astute was named and launched by the Duchess of Cornwall in June 2007 before becoming part of the Royal Navy in August last year at a commissioning ceremony at Faslane naval base on the Clyde. The submarine weighs 7,800 tonnes, equivalent to nearly 1,000 double-decker buses, and is almost 100 metres (328ft) long. Its Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles are capable of delivering pinpoint strikes from 1,240 miles (2,000km) with conventional weapons. The submarine’s nuclear reactor means it does not need refuelling and it makes its own air and water, enabling it to circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface. Built by defence giant BAE Systems at Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, it was the first in a fleet of six which will replace the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar class submarines. Crime Military guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 8, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.