A MAJOR investigation was under way last night after a Royal Navy officer was shot dead and another was fighting for life after a crew member opened fire on board the Clyde-based nuclear submarine HMS Astute.
The £1.2 billion vessel, whose home port is Faslane Naval Base, West Dunbartonshire, was berthed in Southampton when the gunman, who was on sentry duty, fired an SA80 assault rifle at the officer and seriously wounded an able seaman during a weapons changeover in a control room of the boat yesterday.
The gunman was overpowered by other crew members, but one of the men was fatally injured and the second was in a “stable condition” in intensive care at Southampton General hospital last night
The tragedy took place while local dignitaries from the city’s council, including the leader and mayor, were on board the state-of-the art submarine. A group of 11 schoolchildren were also waiting for a guided tour of the vessel, whose captain is Scots-born Commander Iain Breckenridge.
Armed police, firefighters, paramedics and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance helicopter were all called to the scene at the city’s Eastern Docks, where the Astute had been berthed with her 98-strong crew since returning from 46 days at sea for a five-day visit.
The Ministry of Defence would not identify the victims or the arrested man, although the victims’ next of kin have been informed. The MoD would not confirm if they were Scottish. A spokesman said it was “not unusual” for an SA80 assault rifle to be on board. An investigation into the incident has now been launched by Hampshire Constabulary, who are holding the gunman in custody.
Sources said the motive for the shooting was unclear but played down the possibility of post-traumatic stress disorder being a factor, pointing out that the longest HMS Astute has spent at sea is 46 days. The incident was not part of a wider threat, said the MoD.
“This incident was not terrorist-related and there is no threat to the wider public,” said a spokesman. “We are co-operating fully with the police investigation and a Royal Navy service investigation will begin in due course.”
Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said he was “greatly saddened” by the tragedy, adding: “It is right and proper that a full police investigation is carried out and allowed to take its course. My thoughts and sympathies are with those who have been affected and their families.”
It is the second incident in less than six months to involve HMS Astute, the Navy’s newest and most advanced nuclear submarine. Glasgow-born Commander Iain Breckenridge had only been in charge since December after Commander Andy Coles, was removed from his post after the vessel ran aground on a shingle bank off Skye in October. The incident, played out for several hours in full view of the world’s media was a major embarrassment for the Ministry of Defence. Estimates suggested the cost of repairs could range from £1m to more than £100m.
Cdr Breckenridge, a former pupil at Glasgow Academy, received an OBE for leading his crew through a crisis when in charge of his previous submarine, HMS Tireless. The vessel was near Alaska in 2007 when a generator exploded causing a fire and killing two soldiers.
As the vessel filled with smoke, the captain found a thin enough section of ice to surface. He said of his appointment that he had an “excellent team and amazing submarine to get the job done”.
Chief Superintendent David Thomas, leading the police inquiry, said everyone on board would be interviewed following the incident. He said: “A Home Office pathologist will conduct a post-mortem examination on the person who died. A man, also a member of the Royal Navy, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.
“Hampshire Constabulary’s Major Crime Department, with the support and co-operation of Ministry of Defence police and Naval Provost, are investigating. The investigation initially involves treating all those on board as witnesses and we will be obtaining statements from all those on board – approximately 30 people.
“Submarine security was not breached as part of this incident and it is not terrorist-related.
“The vessel, which has been assessed by senior naval personnel, is safe.”
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