UK sacks 9 nuclear submarine personnel for drug abuse
The UK Royal Navy has discharged nine military personnel on board of a nuclear submarine after they tested positive for using drugs.
The servicemen received the boot after failing compulsory drug tests on HMS Vigilant — one of Britain’s four nuclear submarines equipped with US-made Trident nuclear missiles.
The navy said in a statement that it does "not tolerate drugs misuse by service personnel. Those found to have fallen short of our high standards face being discharged from service."
According to UK media, the fired personnel had thrown drug-fueled parties while the vessel was docked in the US to load nuclear missiles.
Brendan O’Hara, a British Member of Parliament for Argyll and Bute, the area that the vessel was based in, said he would be questioning UK Defense Minister Michael Fallon about the scandal.
“My constituents and indeed the people of Scotland need assurances that fit and proper people are in charge of these vessels,” he told The Sunday Post.
“We cannot have submarines carrying deadly weapons crewed by people who behave like teenagers on their first foreign holiday,” he added.
This was the second scandal to hit HMS Vigilant, after it was revealed earlier this month that some of the commanders were involved in inappropriate sexual relationships with junior officers.
Following the allegation, Commander Stuart Armstrong, 41, was relieved of his duties.
His second in command Lieutenant Commander Michael Seal, 36, was also removed after being accused of having an affair with another subordinate.
All of UK navy’s vessels have a "no touching rule" that bans intimate relationships on board.
The extent of the scandals has made Fallon “furious,” according to the Post. The cases have also prompted further investigations to find “any further wrongdoing” on HMS Vigilant.
Known as the Trident program, Britain’s nuclear deterrent has been a source of controversy over its costs.
While the Ministry of Defense refuses to disclose the overall cost of replacing the UK’s ageing weapons, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has estimated that it would cost at least £205 billion.
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