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Grounded UK nuclear submarine freed (video)

One of Britain’s most advanced nuclear submarines, which ran aground off the western coast of Scotland Friday, was towed free later in the day.

HMS Astute ran into trouble in shallow waters off the Isle of Skye just after 8:00am local time when the vessel’s rudder apparently became stuck on a shingle bank.

The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence has said it is “not a nuclear incident” and there were no injuries reported.

Three support vessels, including the coast guard, waited for high tide at around 6:00pm local time before floating Astute off the seabed.

A defense source told Sky News that the submarine’s commanding officer could face a court martial as the officer in ultimate charge of the vessel.

Royal Navy experts have launched a detailed investigation, known as a service inquiry, into why the embarrassing incident occurred.

Military prosecutors will then consider whether HMS Astute’s skipper, Commander Andy Coles, or any of his crew was negligent.

One of the U.K.’s newest submarines, Astute is one of a powerful new fleet of four. It was commissioned at the end of the summer and described as one of the stealthiest ever built in Britain.

The vessel has a 96-meter (315-foot) hull coated with 39,000 acoustic rubber tiles that make it practically impossible for an enemy to hear and it is stocked with up to 38 Spearfish torpedoes or Tomahawk cruise missiles. The submarine’s nuclear reactor means it will never need refueling in its entire 25-year lifespan.

A Defence spokeswoman said the grounding happened while it was undergoing sea trials.

“This is not a nuclear incident,” she said. “There are no injuries to personnel and the submarine is watertight. There is no indication of any environmental impact.”

For more on this story, please go to Sky News.