Royal Navy's new £1bn hunter-killer submarine 'plagued with design flaws and can't reach top speed to evade attack'
-Hunter killer submarine HMS Astute is beset by technical problems
-Concerns have been raised over its inability to reach top speed and keep pace with new aircraft system
-Source said Astute 'has a V8 engine with a Morris Minor gearbox'
-It has also seen flooding and badly-installed equipment
By Harriet Cooke and John Stevens
PUBLISHED: 11:25 GMT, 16 November 2012 | UPDATED: 13:34 GMT, 16 November 2012
The Royal Navy’s £1billion new hunter-killer submarine is unable to reach its intended speed - leaving it vulnerable to attack, it was claimed last night. HMS Astute has been beset with technical problems, including leaks and rust, even though it has yet to even start formal service.
It emerged last night that the vessel's sea trials had been dogged with mechanical failings because of apparent design and construction flaws.
The nuclear-powered submarine, which is the first of a set of seven, was heralded the most technologically advanced ever built by the UK when it was launched in 2008 by the Duchess of Cornwall. But the warship - dubbed 'HMS Calamity - has since been beset by misfortune - including a navigation error which led to it running aground in 2010, and the murder of an officer on-board in 2011 by a junior member of the crew.
Yesterday a catalogue of technical failings were unveiled, including problems with the propulsion meant which the submarine cannot sprint to emergencies or away from attack. A source described the vessel as having 'a V8 engine with a Morris Minor gearbox'. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had stated that the submarine would be able to make 29 knots, but it has reportedly failed to achieve this.
The issue is said to have been caused because - rather than building a new power plant for Astute - the MoD opted to use the reactor used in the much bigger Vanguard-class Trident submarines. HMS Astute also had to perform an emergency surfacing during a routine dive because of flooding, the Guardian reported. Other issues highlighted include corrosion and the replacement or moving of computer circuit boards because they did not meet safety standards.
The MoD confirmed the latter had not been fitted according to Naval Engineering Standards and have since been reinstalled.
Responding to corrosion problems, which were identified on Astute and the second Astute class submarine HMS Ambush, a spokesman said: 'All Royal Navy submarines are subject to a continuous, thorough assessment of their components to minimise the risk of corrosion.'
Concerns were also raised over the wrong type of lead being used in its nuclear reactor monitoring instruments, although the MoD said it would have no effect on the accuracy of any readings or any impact on the submarine's operation.
On the issue of the submarine's propulsion and speed, the authority said it would not comment, although the spokesman said any issues would be examined and used to improve the other submarines in production. He said: 'HMS Astute’s sea trials were designed to rigorously test all aspects of the submarine to meet the exacting standards required for operations... full story continues.
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