Fatal shooting on RN nuclear sub.

[VulcanDriver]

One Royal Navy personnel has been killed and another is in a life-threatening condition after a shooting on board the nuclear attack submarine HMS Astute. Both were reported as being officers in the control room.

A third Royal Navy serviceman, not an officer, was arrested after police were called to Southampton docks where the vessel has been berthed since Wednesday.

The MOD said it is not terrorist related.

[MIKE JG]

Not good.

[VulcanDriver]

Local TV are saying that civic dignitaries were on-board at the time and one of them wrestled the armed sailor to the deck whilst he was restrained. School kids were about to come aboard too so it could have been a lot worse. Questions are being asked how the sailor got a gun out of the on-board armoury or did he bring it on-board. The RN have a very strict side-arm control protocols on their ships so something went seriously wrong.

[MIKE JG]

Side arms are issued on nuclear ICBM boats are they not?

[VulcanDriver]

The Astute class (which this is) is a hunter killer not a Trident boat. It appears, as more news is being released, that the alleged shooter is understood to have been on sentry duty with a SA-80 rifle and the shooting happened during a changeover between shifts. The reason for the incident is still not clear.

[tango234]

This is not good, at all.

Would this be a civilian trial or a court martial?

[VulcanDriver]

The local Police are treating the sub as a crime scene but the sailor has been handed over to the MoD Police. It could be treated as mutiny I guess. BBC news say the sailor fired twice into the control room, left and then returned and fired more shots. The Council Leader forced him against the wall of the sub while the sailor was firing and grabbed the rifle off him and threw it to the deck. The sailor then calmed down and was restrained. Police investigations are centred on whether the sailor had a reason to have the rifle e.g. was he a sentry as first reported, or did he pick it up during the changing of the guard.

[VulcanDriver]

Able Seaman Ryan Samuel Donovan will be appearing in court for a preliminary hearing at Southampton today charged with the murder of Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux and the attempted murder of three others, Petty Officer Christopher Brown, Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, and Lt Cdr Hodge. It is being treated as a civilian matter and not a military matter at present.