Navy commander relieved of duties over relationship on Trident sub

Defence correspondent

A ROYAL Navy nuclear submarine commander who took part in cruise missile strikes during the Libya campaign has been removed from his vessel amid claims of an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.

Cdr Stuart Armstrong was taken off his Vanguard class submarine and relieved of his duties as a precaution while the allegations are investigated.

Naval sources said the investigation had been launched amid suspicions Cdr Armstrong’s relationship with an unnamed female officer was “closer than it should have been”.

It is understood the 41-year-old commander faces “a full range” of disciplinary measures if found guilty of any wrongdoing and could lose command of HMS Vigilant.

The vessel, which is one of Britain’s four Trident submarines, was not on nuclear deterrent patrol at the time and the Ministry of Defence said operations were not affected.

Cdr Armstrong, from Helensburgh, near Glasgow, took command of the boat in February. A Royal Navy biography says he was previously involved in the strikes and reconnaissance against Libyan regime forces from HMS Triumphant during the 2011 campaign to oust Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Navy rules forbid any relationships between sailors in the same chain of command for fear it would lead to favouritism and undermine orders. Relationships outside the chain of command are allowed, but there is a strict “no touching” rule during deployments.

Sources said the rules were considered particularly critical on submarine missions where sailors work in cramped conditions underwater for months at a time. A source said: “This investigation is part of our duty of care to everyone on board, because of the possibility that command could be undermined by an inappropriate relationship.”

After suspicions were first raised, senior officers are believed to have been dispatched to HMS Vigilant to deal with the problem. There is no suggestion that the female officer has committed any wrongdoing.

The incident comes only three years after the first female commander of a warship was stripped of her command following claims she had a relationship with her married third-in-command. Cdr Sarah West, 41, was removed from command of the frigate HMS Portland in August 2014.

In 2011 the MOD lifted a ban on women serving on submarines, with the first joining their boats in 2013. Women had previously been excluded from serving on submarines partly due to concerns that higher levels of carbon dioxide on-board posed particular risks to female health.