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July 21st, 2016 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : A British nuclear Astute-class nuclear submarine collided with a merchant vessel off Gibraltar. The Royal Navy stressed that the nuclear reactor of the HMS Ambush suffered no damage.
HMS Ambush after participating in an, arguably, successful anti-submarine drill. Photo courtesy @jamesdoleman
The HMS “Ambush” bumped into a merchant vessel at around 1:30 p.m. local time, reports the Royal Navy, adding that the vessel was submerged and conducting a training exercise.
The Navy issued a press release, stating that the submarine suffered some external damage during the glancing collision. However, the submarine had been forced to dock. The Royal Navy assures that no one suffered in the incident and that an investigation is now underway.
The 97 meter long Ambush displaces 7,400 ton and is armed with torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Astute-class submarines come at a price of about $1.46bn. The Royal Navy stated that the Ambush had been participating in drills in the Mediterranean Sea aimed at honing anti-submarine warfare capabilities. A merchant vessel appears to have done just that.
However, the Royal Navy stated that “Ships and aircraft from the UK, US and France spent 10 days honing their ability to hunt submarines – a vital opportunity for all three nations to develop and practice their techniques as part of a maritime task group … in the game of cat-and-mouse that is anti-submarine warfare”.
The Strait of Gibraltar between of Gibraltar, southern Spain and northern Africa is one of the most sensitive European maritime regions. Control over the Strait of Gibraltar facilitates control of all maritime traffic between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Gibraltar is a small British enclave and has been controlled by Britain since 1713, when Britannia still ruled (and raided) the seas.
F/AK – nsnbc 21.07.2016
Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/07/21/british-astute-sub-bumps-into-merchant-vessel-off-gibraltar/
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