LONDON, England (CNN) -- A British Royal Navy nuclear submarine was involved in an accident with a French submarine while on operations in the Atlantic Ocean, CNN has learned. Both vessels are understood to have been carrying nuclear warheads at the time and to have suffered damage.
The British Royal Navy submarine HMS Vanguard.
British media reports suggested that the two vessels, HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant, had collided on February 3 or 4. But the UK's Ministry of Defence would not confirm details of the incident.
"It is MOD policy not to comment on submarine operational matters, but we can confirm that the UK's deterrent capability has remained unaffected at all times and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety," a spokesman said. The French Ministry of Defense would not comment on the alleged accident.
Both submarines should have been able to detect the proximity of the other vessel using state-of-the-art sonar technology. Royal Navy Vanguard Class submarines are equipped with collision avoidance radar, according to the Royal Navy Web site.
HMS Vanguard, which was launched in 1992, is one of four submarines which make up the UK's nuclear deterrent. Its firepower includes 16 Trident II D5 missiles which are capable of delivering multiple warheads to targets up to a range of 4,000 nautical miles.
The 150-meter vessel carries a crew of 141 and is powered by a uranium-fueled pressurized water reactor. It can spend weeks at a time underwater on patrol in the North Atlantic when it must "remain completely hidden from the outside world" to maintain the effectiveness of the nuclear deterrent.
But communications with naval commanders and government officials, including the defense secretary and the prime minister, are maintained at all times by a "comprehensive network of communications installations," the Royal Navy Web site said.
The UK's Sun newspaper reported Monday that HMS Vanguard was towed back into its home base at Faslane in Scotland "with dents and scrapes visible on her hull." It is normal procedure for the vessels to be towed into port, according to the Ministry of Defence press office.
Le Triomphant suffered severe damage to its sonar dome, according to the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper. The French vessel was launched in 1994 and carries a crew of 111, according to the GlobalSecurity.org Web site. Its weapons include 16 missiles capable of launching multiple nuclear warheads.
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