This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/15/nuclear-submarine-commander-admits-hazarding-ship-after-collision

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Nuclear submarine commander admits hazarding ship after collision Nuclear submarine commander 'took eye off ball' before collision
(about 2 hours later)
Justin Codd was in charge of HMS Ambush when it hit merchant vessel off Gibraltar Justin Codd pleads guilty to negligently hazarding HMS Ambush during training course
Press AssociationPress Association
Thu 15 Feb 2018 11.33 GMT Thu 15 Feb 2018 13.42 GMT
Last modified on Thu 15 Feb 2018 11.41 GMT First published on Thu 15 Feb 2018 11.33 GMT
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
View more sharing optionsView more sharing options
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
CloseClose
A submarine commander has pleaded guilty to hazarding a ship after the nuclear submarine he was in charge of collided with a merchant vessel. A senior naval officer in charge of teaching future submarine captains “took his eye off the ball”, leading his nuclear submarine to collide with a tanker, a court martial has heard.
Commander Justin Codd, 45, of UK Maritime Battle Staff, entered his plea at a court martial hearing at Portsmouth naval base and will be sentenced later. Cdr Justin Codd, 45, was sentenced to forfeiting a year of seniority after pleading guilty at Portsmouth naval base to negligently hazarding the £1.1bn submarine HMS Ambush.
HMS Ambush was on a training exercise when it was involved in the collision off the coast of Gibraltar on 20 July 2016 in which its conning tower was damaged. The Astute-class submarine was taken out of service for three months to undergo repairs costing £2.1m.
Following the incident, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement: “HMS Ambush, an Astute-class submarine, while submerged and conducting a training exercise, was involved in a glancing collision with a merchant vessel off the coast of Gibraltar. Sentencing Codd, Judge Advocate Robert Hill said: “You have, save for this incident, an exemplary record. It was more in the nature of a momentary aberration than a careless attitude.”
“We are in contact with the merchant vessel and initial indications are that it has not sustained damage. Capt John Atwill, prosecuting, said Codd was leading a group of students on the final day of the Perisher training course when the accident happened off Gibraltar on 20 July 2016.
“The submarine suffered some external damage but there is absolutely no damage to her nuclear plant and no member of the ship’s company was injured in the incident. An immediate investigation is being conducted.” He explained that the students were practising controlling the submarine at periscope depth and observing shipping movements.
Military Atwill said the failure happened because, despite the submarine having two periscopes, Codd failed to carry out his own observations and relied on the images provided by his students.
He said the students had focused on a yacht called Katharsis and had not identified the risk posed by the tanker MV Andreas, which was “loitering” in the nearby area.
Atwill said: “Cdr Codd’s decision to focus on teaching, not safety, compounded the error carried out by the students.”
Capt Sean Moore, defending, said the incident was the worst day in the defendant’s 22 years of “exemplary service”.
He said: “This is a failure that will live with him for the rest of his life.
“No officer becomes teacher of the submarine command course because they are good enough; they must be the best the submarine service has to offer.
“Perisher is widely acknowledged as the toughest command course in the world.”
He added: “This was a case where at the end of a long and demanding period of training with the finish line in sight, Cdr Codd took his eye off the ball.”
He continued: “This is not a case of a teacher deliberately ignoring an obvious threat or taking a calculated risk.”
Moore said Codd was highly respected by senior commanders and had been involved in learning lessons from the accident.
He added that the senior students involved in the training had gone on to pass the Perisher course.
Moore said: “Not only did he remain as teacher, but he revised the training procedures.
“Having written the book on optronic periscopes, having learned from this incident, he’s taken the lead in rewriting the book.”
The court heard that the punishment would impact on Codd’s career progression and his salary of £78,000 a year.
Royal NavyRoyal Navy
Military
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content