Mixed-sex submarine crews 'would not be useful'
A man who commanded four British submarines has said that allowing women to serve in them would be difficult.
The navy is looking to send 20 women officers to serve in Britain's four Vanguard class boats.
The navy said it is looking at the design of its larger submarines to see if mixed sex accommodation could be incorporated and is looking again at the reason it has given to ban women.
But Commander Jeff Tall said the navy's move to send women to serve in nuclear boats on a trial would not be popular in the service.
He said: 'It's down to the cost of having boats without full crews rather than any kind of gender equality progress.'
Cdr Tall, who until 2008 was in charge of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, said the daily work routine made mixed-sex boats a risk. He said: 'It's dirty, physical work a lot of the time and when things go wrong you are cheek by jowl.
'There's nothing like working in a submarine to compare with, it's often very unpleasant and I don't think having mixed groups would be useful.'
Until now women have been banned because the navy says by-products from the boat's air filter system could harm a pregnant woman's unborn baby.
But America is now to allow women submariners, as does Australia, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Cdr Tall said: 'There was a review of the situation before and This change is potentially coming for different reasons.
'It's because there's a manning problem.
'Despite my reservations on the matter I would have to say that I'd be happier to have a mixed sex boat at sea than one tied up doing nothing.'
>> Vote in our latest web poll.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
