from The Herald, 13 August 2012
An unannounced visit to the Clyde by a French nuclear submarine has been attacked as “particularly insensitive” and raised fears about the safety of nuclear weapons.
A submarine flying the French flag was towed by tugs into the Faslane naval base on Gareloch on 2 August. It was spotted and photographed from the shore by anti-nuclear campaigners from the Faslane Peace Camp.
The campaigners identified the boat as one of the four French Triomphant-class that usually carry nuclear weapons. They say that this is the first time a nuclear-armed French submarine has been seen visiting the Clyde.
The first of the class, Le Triomphant, famously collided with the British submarine, HMS Vanguard, which carries Trident nuclear missiles, three years ago. The accident happened somewhere under the Atlantic, but details have been kept secret for national security reasons.
The SNP defence spokesman, Angus Robertson MP, said the French visit prompted serious questions. “Weapons of mass destruction are not welcome on our shores,” he said.
“The Scottish government, the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people are overwhelmingly opposed to nuclear weapons and their continued presence in Scotland. The visit also raises serious safety concerns.”
The collision between Le Triomphant and HMS Vanguard had been “potentially catastrophic”, Robertson warned. The safety record of Britain’s nuclear submarines was “appalling”, with 30 fires over the last three years.
To John Ainslie, coordinator of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, it looked like Faslane was encouraging visits by foreign nuclear submarines. “It is particularly insensitive for the Force de Frappe, the French nuclear force, to make its first ever appearance at Faslane just as Scotland is preparing for the referendum on independence,” he said.
“We also have concerns about the safety of this visit. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) cannot carry out a full risk assessment, because they don’t have information on the nuclear missiles or the reactors on Triomphant class submarines.
The MoD did not deny that that a French nuclear submarine had arrived on the Clyde. “It is our policy not to discuss submarine operations as this may compromise the security of these vessels,” said a spokesman.
“HM Naval Base Clyde is the home of the UK submarine service and as such hosts a wide variety of vessels from Nato countries and our allies throughout the year.”
According to the Faslane Peace Camp, the French submarine may have left in the last few days. Its visit “coupled with the MoD's silence on it, is very worrying indeed,” said the camp’s Leonna O'Neill.
“We do not want foreign nuclear-armed submarines here. Gross public safety issues aside, co-operation on nuclear weapons systems bolsters nuclear proliferation and legitimises the nuclear-armed countries’ failure to take any of their international legal obligations to disarm seriously.”
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