HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant submarine collision HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant submarine collision The submarines HMS "Vanguard" and "Triomphant" collided in the Atlantic Ocean in the night between 3–4 February 2009. Both are nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The Royal Navy's and the French Navy's both sustained damage, but no injuries or radioactivity releases were reported. At the time of the collision, both vessels were submerged and, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, moving "at very low speed"; both are equipped with active and passive sonar, although only the latter is used on an operational patrol. HMS "Vanguard" was on a routine patrol in the Eastern
French submarine Le Triomphant (S616) service notified the DCN that "Triomphant" was about to take the first period of Unavailability for Maintenance and Repairs (IPER or "Indisponibilité pour Entretien et Réparations"). The 150 million Euro contract was granted to DCN, with the IPER starting at Ile Longue on 2 April 2002, scheduled for 29 months in all. In this, the boat's first major refit, the missiles and the fuel elements of the nuclear boiler were disembarked. In August 2004 "L'Humanité" ran a piece with the headline "Pas si Triomphant que ça" reporting that "Le Triomphant" had suffered a nuclear leak from one of her nuclear