Grounded British sub’s captain may face court martial

LONDON - The captain of the British nuclear-powered submarine that ran aground during sea trials off the west coast of Scotland Friday could face a court martial, the BBC reported Sunday.

The Royal Navy’s HMS Astute got into trouble when the rudder of the vessel is believed to have become stuck on a shingle bank off the Isle of Skye.

The incident took place in shallow water, apparently during change of crew onboard the nearly 7,800-ton vessel. The submarine, captained by Commander Andy Coles, was towed free by Royal Navy vessels and a tug, after being stuck for 10 hours.

It was Sunday being escorted to base at Faslane in Scotland and is expected to berth Monday. The submarine is to be inspected for damage as part of the investigation into the cause of the accident.

The HMS Astute, the Royal Navy’s newest and biggest nuclear submarine, has not yet officially come into service.

The ministry of defence (MoD) Friday said the grounding was “not a nuclear incident”, that no personnel were injured and that the submarine remained watertight.

“We can confirm that no part of Astute’s nuclear propulsion system was damaged or was in danger of being damaged. The reactor is completely safe,” a spokesman for the MoD stressed again Sunday.