(July 1st 2001)
HMS Victorious in Minor Collision
Yesterday a 41-foot US Coast Guard vessel was disabled 13 miles off Port Canaveral, Florida, after colliding with the towed array sonar of Royal Navy submarine.
HMS Victorious (S29) had been visiting Port Canaveral for a period of rest and refueling following joint training exercises with the United States Navy. As she departed the area her escort, the US coastguard vessel, received a report of an oil slick. As the vessel circled behind Victorious to respond to the report, its propeller caught in a fibre optic cable belonging to Victorious' sonar system.
No one was injured aboard either vessel, although the coast guard ship had to be towed back to shore.
HMS Victorious, the second of Britain's four nuclear powered, nuclear armed Trident submarines, entered service in 1995.