7 months ago
This is nan embarrassing infinitesimal a Royal Navy minesweeper collapsed into different aft an evident mechanical nonaccomplishment near officers incapable to extremity it reversing, nan latest successful a drawstring of incidents that person near Navy chiefs red-faced successful caller weeks.
In a gaffe that could discuss UK operations successful nan Gulf astatine a important time, HMS Chiddingfold reversed into HMS Bangor, which was docked astatine a larboard successful Bahrain.
The mishap ripped a immense spread successful nan hull, which is constructed of solid reinforced plastic. There was soul harm but nary injuries.
Navy sources suggested location was nary timeline yet for erstwhile nan alloy tin return to frontline duties.
One said: 'HMS Chiddingfold sewage stuck successful reverse.
The mishap ripped a immense spread successful nan hull, which is constructed of solid reinforced integrative (pictured)
Navy sources suggested location was nary timeline yet for erstwhile nan alloy tin return to frontline duties
'The knowing astatine nan infinitesimal is erstwhile she was attempting to spell astern, location was a malfunction.
'The unit couldn't change her people truthful they were forced to look connected helplessly arsenic she careered into HMS Bangor's rear 4th front first.
'Her interior was ripped isolated too. The vessel won't beryllium successful action for a while.'
This isn't nan first clip HMS Chiddingfold has collapsed into a friends vessel.
NavyLookout reported that Chiddingfold struck HMS Penzance and was retired of action for 3 months arsenic it underwent repairs.
The master tract said that Hunt people vessells tin beryllium difficult to manoeuvre successful harbours, and are susceptible to high-speed winds.
Rear Admiral Edward Ahlgren, Commander Operations, told the Telegraph he was 'aware' of nan incident and 'would for illustration to accent that thankfully cipher was wounded successful nan collision, but immoderate harm was sustained'.
'Why this happened is still to beryllium established. We train our group to nan highest standards and rigorously enforce machinery information standards, but unluckily incidents of this quality tin still happen.
'I guarantee you that a afloat and thorough investigation is already nether measurement and immoderate changes successful process that could forestall further incidents will beryllium quickly implemented. In nan meantime, nan UK will proceed to play a cardinal portion successful ensuring nan information of merchant shipping successful nan region.'
Footage of nan collision was shared by subject tract Claims Bible and has since been viewed hundreds of thousands of times online.
Bangor is 1 of nan Royal Navy's 7 Sandown-class excavation counter-measures vessels.
The vessel plays an important domiciled successful ensuring nan information of nan UK and world waste and acquisition routes. Pictured, harm aboard HMS Bangor aft nan crash
Her modular unit of 39 includes excavation warfare specialists and excavation clearance divers.
Ordinarily she is based astatine nan Clyde naval guidelines successful Faslane, Scotland, but she has been connected semipermanent deployment to nan Gulf.
According to nan Ministry of Defence, Bangor is equipped pinch SeaFox unmanned underwater vehicles that trawl nan water level searching for mines.
While nan vessel plays an important domiciled successful ensuring nan information of nan UK and world waste and acquisition routes, nan incident is nan past successful a bid of embarrassments faced by nan Royal Navy.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that drastic shortages of sailors forced nan Royal Navy to decommission 2 of its warships, HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll.
The warships were retired truthful that their crews could transportation to caller frigates.
The status of HMS Westminster is arguable arsenic it underwent costly repairs successful 2017 and only precocious returned to service.
The decommissioning of nan ships comes arsenic grounds numbers of sailors, specified arsenic navy divers and engineers, are signing off. Many person been headhunted by backstage assemblage companies who tin double their wages.
According to charismatic statistics, nan Royal Navy has performed nan worst of nan services for recruitment successful nan past 12 months.
Its intake of recruits dropped by 22.1 per cent successful nan 12 months to March 2023, while nan RAF dropped by almost 17 per cent and nan Army by astir 15 per cent.
In consequence to nan situation serving Royal Marines person been offered £500 to seduce friends connected 'civvy street' to enlist.
Royal Navy chiefs person been pushed into nan unprecedented move because cipher successful azygous is either qualified for aliases willing successful nan £150,000 role
Chiefs want a retired aliases part-time serviceman to return to afloat work and are relying connected societal media to find them
Recruitment is simply a increasing rumor successful nan Royal Navy, moreover among nan apical brass. Desperate Royal Navy chiefs turned to business societal media tract LinkedIn successful their efforts to find a commander for their submarines and atomic operations.
They person been pushed into nan unprecedented move because cipher successful azygous is either qualified for aliases willing successful nan £150,000 role.
Chiefs want a retired aliases part-time serviceman to return to afloat work and are relying connected societal media to find them.
Royal Navy ships person been deployed to protect world shipping lanes, which person been targeted by Iran-backed Houthi rebels successful Yemen, pinch astir 30 cargo vessels and tankers being struck.
The attacks person continued contempt UK and US aerial strikes connected Houthi bases.
