2 U.S. Nuclear Subs Have Gone Aground; 1 May Be Scrapped, Pentagon Says

Two U.S. nuclear submarines have run aground in European seas since mid-March, and one was so badly damaged that it may be scrapped to keep the United States within SALT II limits, Pentagon officials said today.

A Navy spokesman said the nuclear attack submarine Atlanta hit the bottom in the Strait of Gibraltar on Tuesday and later made port in Gibraltar with damage to sonar gear and ballast tank plating.

The spokesman, Navy Lt. Stephen Pietropaoli, also said the older nuclear-powered Poseidon missile submarine Nathanael Greene suffered rudder and ballast tank damage when it ran aground in the Irish Sea on March 13.

He said that there were no radiation leaks from the submarines and that no crew members were injured.

“Both incidents are under investigation,” he said.

The Nathanael Greene first limped into Holy Loch, Scotland, but returned to Charleston, S.C. Pentagon officials, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters that the boat may be dismantled in Charleston.

In order to stay within missile limits set by the SALT II arms treaty, President Reagan has tentatively decided to dismantle two Poseidon class submarines, each carrying 16 nuclear ballistic missiles, when a new 24-missile Trident submarine puts to sea this month.

Pentagon officials said that if Reagan makes a final decision to scrap two older boats, the Nathanael Greene, named after a Rhode Island Revolutionary War hero, probably will be one of them, partly because of the damage repair costs.

“Because of its age, the boat would have to be routinely overhauled and refitted to keep it in service at an estimated cost of $130 million to $170 million,” one official said. “And the extra cost for repairs certainly would be a factor.”

Pietropaoli said it is unusual for two submarines to “bump the bottom” in a short span of time but he added that the two incidents were not related.