Officers ready to quit on nuclear sub rocked by love affairs claims
Infuriated crew were set to resign when HMS Vigilant docked in US
A NUCLEAR submarine rocked by affair claims has seen several crew members threaten to resign amid the removal of two senior officers.
Faslane-based HMS Vigilant’s captain Stuart Armstrong and his second in command were relieved of their duties last month as probes were launched into relationships with colleagues.
Commander Armstrong, 41, was “removed without prejudice” from his post as claims emerged while the Vanguard-class sub was submerged in the Atlantic.
It later emerged that the ship’s unnamed executive officer was also removed over claims regarding his relationship with another female crew member.
Crew members on the same submarine are strictly forbidden from forming relationships with each other and the allegations are understood to have sparked rows among crew members.
Five officers were said to have been so angry about the alleged behaviour of their superior officers that they threatened to resign when the sub docked at a US port.
A Navy source told the Sunday Times that the situation on Vigilant “undermines the whole command chain”.
The source said: “A group of officers threatened to resign as soon as the boat reached the US and the commanding officer and executive officer were then relieved of their command.
“The trouble is
Skipper probe ‘onboard relatio
with something of this magnitude, it can destroy the camaraderie that goes with the officer corps.
“The code was put there to stop this happening.”
Armstrong, a former captain of HMS Artful, had only been in charge of Vigilant since February.
It’s thought two senior investigating officers flew out to the sub after a crew member blew the whistle on the allegations.
A replacement captain and executive officer are in charge of Vigilant and the investigation is being overseen by the captain of Faslane Flotilla, one of the most senior officers at the Dunbartonshire base.
Defence commentator Tim Ripley said it was “unprecedented” for two senior officers to be investigated for such claims at the same time.
He added: “These people have to be seen to be beyond reproach and that is why the matter is being taken so seriously by the Navy top brass.” The Royal Navy said: “Any allegations of wrongdoing are taken very seriously and will be dealt with appropriately.”