US nuclear sub crew forged safety records

The crew of a US nuclear submarine failed to carry out daily reactor safety checks for a month, then forged records to cover up the blunder, it emerged today.

Six crew have been punished over the incident and the investigation is continuing, a spokesman said.

The revelation is sure to raise new questions about the military's handling of nuclear materials following the incident in which a B-52 bomber was accidentally loaded with nuclear-tipped missiles and flown across the country without any one realising it.

In the case of the USS Hampton, officials discovered that sailors had not done the required analysis of the chemical and radiological properties of the submarine's reactor for more than a month, even though a daily check is required, a navy spokesman said.

Others discovered the lapse during a routine cross-check as the submarine neared the end of a Pacific voyage last month.

Officials also found that logs had been filled out to make it appear that the daily checks of the reactor water had actually been done.

"Some of the Hampton's operations and records fell short of high Navy standards," the spokesman said.

"There never was any danger to the crew or the public," he said.

Hampton is the most advanced nuclear attack submarine in the world, carrying a torpedoes, cruise missiles, and mines.

The investigation was first reported in today’s editions of Navy Times newspaper, which said failing to measure and maintain the correct water chemistry in the reactor over the long-term could cause corrosion in the propulsion system.

“We measure also for general radioactivity levels in the water to make sure the reactor (fuel elements are) intact,” said the source.

The reported problems with procedures and record keeping in the Navy squadron comes just after the Air Force disciplined 70 airmen in the B-52 incident.