The Royal Navy ordered a thorough investigation after it emerged that during repairs to the nuclear submarine Trident, broken bolts on the nuclear reactor cooling pipes were ‘fixed’ with superglue instead of being replaced. It was discovered by accident only after one of the damaged bolts fell off during an inspection aboard the 16,000-ton submarine HMS Vanguard.

Workers repairing Britain’s £88m Trident submarine, it appears, decided to glue damaged bolts in a nuclear reactor chamber with superglue, violating nuclear safety standards and creating a potential risk of an accident on the scale of the Chernobyl disaster. 

A subsequent check showed that they were accidentally cut off as a result of tightening too much. However, instead of giving all the details of the damage and taking the time to ream and replace, the repairers at Babcock, a specialized British company, decided to simply glue the heads back on with superglue.

The damage was sustained during drydock repairs and refueling at the Royal Navy’s Devonport naval base near Plymouth. Glued bolts – and there were at least seven of them – held the insulation on the pipes with the coolant in the nuclear reactor chamber. 

That they’re held on by superglue was only discovered this month, before engineers were supposed to run the reactor at full power for the first time. Meanwhile, in the event of a disruption in the supply of coolant, there could potentially be a risk of an accident similar to Chernobyl, the article emphasizes. 

Investigators are now examining video footage from the dock to find out exactly when it happened and who exactly is responsible. In accordance with nuclear safety protocols, repairmen always work in pairs.

Babcock is a leading UK aerospace, defense and nuclear engineering contractor. Repairs to HMS Vanguard began back in 2015, but completion has been delayed by almost four years, well over budget.  
These chronic delays have forced the crews of Britain’s remaining three Trident-class nuclear-powered missile submarines, HMS Vengeance, HMS Victorious and HMS Vigilance, into extended patrols until they are replaced by new nuclear deterrent-equipped Dreadnought-class submarines in 2028.

Babcock representatives failed to explain to the military the reasons why their civilian personnel allowed such a violation of nuclear safety standards and protocols. 

‘This is a serious trust issue that Babcock and the Royal Navy must resolve between themselves. And it makes you wonder what else could have been done poorly. Such damage should be detected by the quality control department long before the inspection at the latest stage,’ said former submarine captain Ryan Ramsay. YOU CAN SHARE THIS STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: