Ajit Karn
Glue utilized in nuclear submarine repair
Following reports that broken bolts in the reactor chamber of the Trident nuclear-armed submarine were repaired using glue by personnel, the Royal Navy decided it was necessary to launch an immediate investigation into the matter. In accordance with a report that was published in the Sun, improper repairs were found on the HMS Vanguard’s cooling pipes after one of the bolts fell loose while the pipes were being inspected.
In the beginning, the bolt heads fell off due to an excessive amount of tightening. However, rather than repairing the broken shafts, the team at the defence contractor Babcock used adhesive to create a quick patch as a replacement for the replacement of the damaged shafts.
After the issue was identified, the engineers referred to it as a “procedural fault;” however, no one brought up the fact that the remedy was an unsuccessful attempt.
“It’s an embarrassment. When it comes to nuclear power, there are no short cuts. Standards are standards. According to a source within the navy, “nuclear standards are never compromised.”
According to the article that was published in the local newspaper, “The bonded bolts held insulation in place on the coolant pipes of the nuclear reactor, and they were found just as workers were prepared to fire it up to full power for the first time.”
The investigators are going to go over the records of the repairs that have been done to determine when the shoddy repair was performed and who should be held ultimately liable for it.
While HMS Vanguard was in dry dock, a “defect” was discovered on the ship, and the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence stated that the problem was “promptly notified and corrected.”
According to a statement made by a representative for the Department of Defense, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace met with David Lockwood, Chief Executive Officer of Babcock, “to seek assurances concerning future work.”
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A representative from Babcock’s public relations department stated, “Any quality-related issue is a big disappointment; nonetheless, our own rigorous inspection systems uncovered the issue.” The work had no effect whatsoever on either the operational or safety standards.
