Royal Navy to allow female sailors on subs
The Royal Navy is preparing to allow women to serve on its submarine fleet for the first time, defence sources say.
The final barrier to allowing females aboard Britain's 11 nuclear submarines has been broken down after a report found that life aboard a submarine would not adversely affect pregnant women.
Previously, accepted thinking was that recycled air and living and working so close to a nuclear reactor would affect unborn babies. But this has been dispelled.
It is understood that the first female submariners will be about five officers who will join one of the Vanguard submarines carrying Trident nuclear missiles.
Female crews have served on British surface warships since 1990.
At present the Royal Navy only allows three exceptions for women being on board military submarines: female civilian technicians for a few days at most; women midshipmen on an overnight stay during summer training; and family members for one-day dependent cruises.
Most navies - including the U.S. Navy - still prohibit women from serving on submarines. The Royal Norwegian Navy became the first to allow female crew on submarines in 1985. The Royal Danish Navy followed in 1988 and Commonwealth countries Australia and Canada have female submariners.
Recruiting females into the 110-year-old Submarine service will also help overcome significant command shortages aboard subs.
There had been concerns about female crew - that the cramped quarters on board could lead to difficulties with the Royal Navy's 'no touch' policy between the sexes.
There have been a number of incidents when female Navy crew had become pregnant while serving on Royal Navy vessels, and had been immediately sent ashore.
This could be difficult on submarines, which can spend up to six months at sea.
Defence sources say that the submarine living quarters will need to be adapted before female crew came aboard, and that the first female officers would see duty in 2012.