The HMS Talent grabbed global headlines in April when it was reported that seven crew members from the nuclear-powered UK submarine were ordered off the vessel after testing positive for cocaine while on duty.
Spanish ecologists have claimed that by repairing its Plymouth-based nuclear submarine Talent in Gibraltar, the UK's Royal Navy “puts the population of Campo de Gibraltar at risk” by placing Spain in the cross-hairs of a potential conflict with China or Russia.
Additionally, the ecologists accused the Royal Navy of forcing Gibraltar into becoming “an X port, where the United Kingdom brings its submarines for repair”; according to them, engineers have no nuclear emergency plan for their work, which the ecologists say should be stopped.
EU-UK Relations on the Rocks as Brussels Supports Madrid's Gibraltar Claims
A Royal Navy spokesperson, in turn, declined to confirm or deny if the Talent submarine was currently under repair in Gibraltar.
The Plymouth Live news outlet cited unnamed naval sources as saying that the Royal Navy “maintains the highest standards of safety at all times” when it comes to nuclear submarine repair work.
The news outlet noted that Plymouth remains home to 13 “retired” nuclear-powered submarines, nine of which still contain radioactive fuel.
‘Outrageous Behavior': Spain Shadows UK Royal Navy Nuclear Sub Near Gibraltar
The ecologists' complaints about the HMS Talent come…
