Nuclear sub to go on display

Courageous has been defueled and de-equipped

A decommissioned nuclear submarine which served in the Falklands war is going on public display at a Royal Navy base in Devon.

Courageous, a 285-ft 3,500-tonne submarine, was taken out of commission in 1992.

The Navy plans to display the vessel starting in spring 2002 as part of the development of the visitors' centre at its naval base in Plymouth.

Base commander Commodore Ric Cheadle said: "We want to take the mystery out of how a nuclear-powered submarine works, and let the public see for themselves how safe they are and to learn about how we maintain and operate them.

Guided tours

"Putting Courageous on display is in line with our plans to expand the visitors' centre and the naval base museum to make us more accessible to the general public."

Visitors will be able to tour the submarine

The Navy said guided tours will be available aboard Courageous, which was built by Vickers Shipyard in Barrow and launched in 1970.

The submarine was based in Faslane, Scotland, and arrived in Devonport in 1993 following decommissioning.

The Navy said the vessel has been defuelled and de-equipped, which means the reactor core has been removed and the cooling circuit emptied.

Commodore Cheadle said they are aiming to have the submarine open and available for members of the public to visit during next year.