US nuclear submarine damaged in underwater collision in South China Sea

[Klaralven]

A US nuclear submarine was damaged after hitting an unidentified object while operating underwater in Asia, the US Navy said Thursday.

The USS Connecticut, a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, "struck an object while submerged on the afternoon of Oct. 2, while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region," the navy said in a statement.

It said there were no life-threatening injuries, but USNI News, a site specializing in navy news, reported that about a dozen sailors were hurt "with moderate to minor injuries."

USNI News also said the submarine was operating in the South China Sea, where the US Navy has sought to challenge China's disputed territorial claims on small islands, reefs and outcrops.

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20211008-us-nuclear-submarine-damaged-in-underwater-collision-in-south-china-sea

[Bev54]

1. Hit what? A Chinese sub???

[Klaralven]

2. Could have been. Submarines have been known to collide with each other

But contact with a geologic feature or a wreck may be possible also, depending on where the submarine was operating. Large portions of the South China Sea are very shallow. Others have many islands and sea mounts.

[Best_man23]

4. There are a lot of wrecks from World War II in South China Sea

The South China Sea was a frequent hunting ground for US Submarines during the war. Pull up a map of World War II shipwrecks and you will find a lot of them at the bottom of the South China Sea. During the war, Japan's merchant fleet traveled through the South China Sea moving oil from Indonesia and troops/supplies to and from the Philippines.

Collision with a geologic feature (sea mount) is also a distinct possibility.

[denbot]

3. Crazy Ivan maneuver?

Or if the Navy's repeated interactions with UAP's, a Crazy Eddie (as per Mote in God's Eye)?

[Towlie]

6. According to AP, the officials said the object the USS Connecticut collided with was not another sub

South China Sea: US submarine collides with unknown object

According to AP, the officials said the object the USS Connecticut collided with was not another submarine. One of the officials quoted by the agency said it could have been a sunken vessel or container, or other uncharted object.

[Towlie]

5. "USNI News said the vessel is now headed to the US base at Guam."

 
?

It seems unusual for the U. S. Navy to disclose the location and destination of a submarine. After all, submarines are all about stealth and secrecy.

[denbot]

7. If it is damaged, it is as noisy as a sub could get.

There are vast areas of the sea floor that are at least partially monitored by hydrophones listening for our very quiet operating subs. Screw with the hydrodynamics of the outer hull, and that thing may as well bolt a speaker on the sail.

[EX500rider]

8. Fired:

The commander, executive officer and senior enlisted sailor for attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) have been fired following the results of an investigation into the Oct. 2 underwater collision in the South China Sea, the Navy announced on Thursday.
The reliefs are “due to loss of confidence. Thomas determined sound judgement, prudent decision-making, and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch team execution and risk management could have prevented the incident,” reads a statement from the Navy.

https://news.usni.org/2021/11/04/uss-connecticut-co-xo-cob-relieved-over-collision-in-south-china-sea-due-to-lose-of-confidence?fbclid=IwAR3GDFUq5vfQ9sLO5A5Gd-9v2ffiecLiyAudND9976PMti3t5NNIbcZaSGU