The botched job reportedly sparked an urgent investigation as defense chiefs demanded assurances about future work
UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has reportedly called for an urgent investigation after The Sun revealed that a routine inspection of one of Britain’s Trident nuclear submarines found evidence of bizarrely botched repair work.
According to a detailed report by the outlet, workers allegedly used super glue to fix a number of broken bolt heads used to hold together cooling pipes in the nuclear reactor of the HMS Vanguard.
Engineers from defense contractor Babcock appear to have originally damaged the bolts, but instead of replacing the them, they simply glued the heads back on.
The Sun details that at least seven bolts, all of which held insulation in place on coolant pipes which prevent reactor meltdown, were treated this way.
The potentially catastrophic repairs were only noticed earlier this month when one of the bolts fell apart during a routine check ahead of a scheduled first firing of the reactor at maximum power.
The incident reportedly sparked outrage among defense officials. Wallace has demanded a meeting and “assurances about future work,” The Sun reported.
A Navy source told the outlet that he was furious that Babcock had failed to inform defense officials about the botched repairs. “It’s a disgrace. You can’t cut corners with nuclear. Standards are standards. Nuclear standards are never compromised,” he told The Sun.
Repair work aboard the HMS Vanguard is being done as part of dry dock refurbishment at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth, which is already four years behind schedule and around £300 million ($370 million) over budget.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ (IRGC) Intelligence Unit says Iran will consider the Israeli regime’s shelters “legitimate targets” if residential areas in the country come under attack.
In a post published on social media platform X on Tuesday, the IRGC said that any strikes on residential areas in Iran would give Iran’s armed forces the right to attack Israeli shelters in the occupied lands.
The IRGC stated that it has intelligence on the blueprints and the exact locations of these shelters.
Iran began its Operation True Promise 4 after the US and Israel launched their joint military aggression against the Islamic Republic in late February by assassinating Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and several senior Iranian officials.
In its latest wave of attacks, the IRGC said it rained down missiles on the Israeli regime’s “secure” intelligence facilities in Tel Aviv.
Iranian armed forces have also pounded American military bases and ...
In a fresh wave of retaliatory strikes, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) targeted the Israeli regime’s “secure” intelligence facilities in Tel Aviv.
The IRGC’s Public Relations Department said in a statement on Tuesday that it had carried out the 79th wave of its ongoing retaliatory Operation True Promise 4 against the Israeli and American targets.
Deploying powerful Kheybar Shekan, Emad, and Sejjil missiles alongside IRGC Aerospace Force kamikaze drones, the operation successfully breached the regime's multi-layered air defense systems, the statement said.
The missiles, it stated, targeted Israel’s intelligence facilities in northern and central Tel Aviv, as well as military commercial and support centers in Ramat Gan and the Negev.
The missiles also hit Israel’s southern military logistics and command headquarters in Beersheba.
The missile strikes triggered widespread panic across Israel and forced the suspension of a Knesset (parliament) session on Tuesday.
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announces staging the 78th wave of its underway retaliatory Operation True Promise 4, targeting such highly sensitive Israeli targets as Dimona, Tel Aviv, and Eilat as well as several US military bases in the region.
In a statement on Tuesday, the IRGC described the latest phase of the operation as a significant development featuring missiles raining down on enemy targets as the nation was leveling momentous support behind the Islamic Republic by attending millions-strong rallies with "clenched fists."
'A distinct record'
The latest phase, it noted, "has set a distinct record in the timeline of the war."
According to the statement, targets in the occupied port of Eilat, Dimona, a heavily fortified city that hosts the Israeli regime's notorious nuclear reactor in its vicinity, and northern Tel Aviv were struck using Emad and multi-warhead Qadr missile systems along with attack drones.
This was the second time the Corps was hitting Dimona, ...