Navy officer opposed to nuclear weapons sues MoD

A former Royal Navy weapons officer who was removed from a submarine because he opposed nuclear weapons is suing the Ministry of Defence for religious discrimination.

Sub Lt Antonio Jardim, a Christian with joint British-Portuguese nationality, was assigned to HMS Vanguard.

He was given the nickname "Trigger" because of his "reluctance to pull the trigger", according to tribunal papers.

Mr Jardim was later moved to an onshore role in Portsmouth.

HMS Vanguard is one of the UK's nuclear deterrent submarines based at Faslane, Scotland.

In a statement ahead of an employment tribunal in Southampton, Mr Jardim said: "I wanted to leave the service after the treatment I received when making my moral views known.

"I believe I have been subjected to a series of connected acts of discriminatory treatment based upon my religious beliefs."

He added: "Due to the stress from the entire process, along with an unbearable workload and lack of progress with my voluntary withdrawal from training and service complaint, I was sent sick on shore."

Mr Jardim decided to leave the service in May 2021.

According to tribunal documents, during his joining interview with the navy in May 2018 he was not asked about nuclear weapons.

However, during his initial officer training he was told it would not be possible for him to serve on a ballistic submarine (SSBN) as a dual national because of security clearance issues.

His career manager told him "not to worry about security clearance as he would not need to serve on SSBNs".

But documents also state that on the Trident officers general course in June 2020, having told the course officer about his concerns, he was "removed from the course and told to wait in his cabin".

Then for the next two weeks he had "interviews and phone calls and he was told not to return to the boat, and his name was written in the quartermaster's book stating that he was not to be let on board".

A full hearing will take place on 13 March 2023.

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