Nuclear incidents in Atlantic

• Russian War-Ships leaking oil 50 miles off coast
• British and French Nuclear Submarines collide in Atlantic

Living on the Dingle Peninsula, the Atlantic Ocean is an all encompassing force in our lives and is, quite literally, all around us. No matter where you are in Corca Dhuibhne, the sea is never too far away. However lately it seems that the South-West Coast has become something of a war zone. Do any of us look out to sea and expect a Russian warship to be lurking nearby? Or perhaps a British nuclear sub with 40 nuclear weapons on board? Or indeed a French submarine colliding underwater with an "object" their defense ministry refuses to identify? This isn't the plot of some Tom Clancy novel, no, this is what is happening on our doorstep as we speak.Up to 300 tonnes of oil was spilled into the Atlantic 50 miles off the South West coast on Saturday as two Russian War-Ships were refuelling. The Irish Coast Guard are in contact with the Russian authorities and are monitoring the spill after being alerted to the incident through a satellite surveillance program run by the European Maritime Safety Agency.How about that. Now, how about this...It has also been confirmed that British and French nuclear submarines collided in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month. Britain's HMS Vanguard and France's Le Triomphant (pictured above left) were both damaged in the crash in the early hours of February 4th, but there were no reports of damage to the nuclear parts.
France's defence ministry said that on the 6th of February Le Triomphant, a ballistic nuclear submarine, was damaged when it hit an object under water. It did not identify the object.
The British sub has now been towed to the Faslane base in western Scotland for repair.The two submarines are equipped with sonar to detect other vessels. Both vessels, between them carrying about 250 sailors, were reportedly submerged and on separate missions when they crashed.
Britain's ministry of defence refuses to comment on submarine operations but a spokesman said: 'The UK's deterrent capability has remained unaffected at all times and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety.'
Le Triomphant, one of France's four nuclear-armed submarines, hit the object, said at the time to be probably a container, while submerging, and immediately returned to base at Ile-Longue, near Brest in northwest France.
Each vessel is 150 metres long and 13 metres in diameter, and can carry up to 48 nuclear warheads on a maximum of 16 missiles.France and Britain are two of the world's five declared nuclear powers, along with the US, China and Russia.