London: Military chiefs have launched a major investigation after a Royal Navy warship accidentally fired a torpedo at a nuclear dockyard, The Telegraph reported. According to the report, HMS Argyll was moored at Devonport Naval base in Plymouth when the 9ft missile suddenly shot out of its starboard side during a training drill.
The tube-shaped projectile flew through the air before blasting a hole in a security fence and slamming into a storage container. The torpedo was an unarmed version used for testing drills so it merely thudded into the metal container and did not explode. Nobody was hurt but the incident shocked the Navy bosses and an investigation into the incident that took place inside a high security area where Britain's nuclear submarines are refuelled and repaired was ordered.
HMS Argyll is currently the oldest serving Duke Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy having been launched in 1989.
But the 4,900 tonne vessel underwent a £20million refit in 2009 to ensure her weaponry was at the cutting edge of naval warfare, the report said.
Its armaments include sea wolf anti-aircraft missiles, harpoon launchers, a 4.5 inch mk8 cannon and two twin 12.75 inch sting ray torpedo tubes.
A source quoted by the British daily said, “The torpedo came shooting out of the side of Argyll and flew through the air before going straight through a security fence. It’s carried on going before hitting a storage container after blasting a hole into the security fence.”
