Monday, November 08, 2010

Prepostorous Nuclear Submarine Operations or Nuclear Subterfuge- Take Your Pick

Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves
Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Rule Britannia!

- Lines from Rule, Britannia by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740.[1]

Keep this well in mind: Either the series of attention-getting mishaps that have reportedly befallen HMS Astute this year are a sign of the British Empire's imminent collapse, or it is a clever subterfuge designed to divert attention from something else involving the UK government. Could the UK's MOD simply want out of the nuclear submarine business?
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The British MOD (Ministry of Defense) does not wish the public to believe the latter, so it has suddenly confessed to the following mishaps, previously undisclosed mishaps, including a total of eleven (11) groundings:
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October 2010 HMS Astute grounded off the Isle of Skye
April 2009 HMS Torbay grounded in the Eastern Mediterranean
February 2009 HMS Vanguard collided with the French submarine Le Triomphant in the Atlantic
May 2008 HMS Superb grounded in the Red Sea
May 2003 HMS Tireless struck an iceberg while on Arctic Patrol
November 2002 HMS Trafalgar grounded on Fladda-Chuain, north of Skye
November 2000 HMS Triumph grounded west of Scotland
November 2000 HMS Victorious grounded on Skelmorlie Bank in the Firth of Clyde
July 1997 HMS Trenchant grounded off the coast of Australia
July 1996 HMS Repulse grounded in the North Channel off south-west Scotland
July 1996 HMS Trafalgar grounded off the Isle of Skye
March 1991 HMS Valiant grounded in the North Norwegian Sea
November 1990 HMS Trenchant snagged the fishing vessel Antares off Arran
October 1989 HMS Spartan grounded west of Scotland
November 1989 HMS Sceptre snagged the fishing vessel Scotia near Lewis
July 1988 HMS Conqueror collided with the yacht Dalriada off the coast of Northern Ireland
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Inadequate coincidences, you say? Try this next little gem.
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Well, which do you choose: sudden incompetence or subterfuge? HINT: The British Senior Service (Royal Navy) has rarely appeared so incompetent. As to their Silent Service, the Brits have been pacesetters, until now.
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FINAL QUESTION: Which submarine, Astute or the soon to be launched Ambush will actually perform clandestine operations earliest? Hmmm!
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Submarines are always silent and strange.




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2 Comments:

At 09 November, 2010 22:15, Blogger Tom Goering said...

The Pound has been absent from most currency discussions lately as the UKs money isn't what it used to be.

Where the Germans, French, Spanish and countless others have tried and failed to bring down the British over the last millennia, it looks as if the current housing bust/financial crisis might be the biggest, most effective, adversary yet.

Shame.

 
At 11 November, 2010 09:31, Blogger Vigilis said...

A shame it really is, Tom.

 

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