Two nuclear submarine accidents have occurred in the U.S. Navy over the past three-years, one of which resulted in 14 deaths. Many people were also injured. The incident occurred last October in the South China Sea. This incident occurs amid increased tensions within the region.
The USS Connecticut was on a mission in South China Sea on October 2, 2021. Unidentified objects were hitting the vessel at speed and depth, causing injuries to several crew members and the destruction of a section. The submarine was sent to Guam for an assessment. A few days later, U.S. Pacific Fleet issued a statement regarding the incident.
The cause of the crash was investigated. According to the report there were numerous mistakes, including failures with risk management and navigation planning. A vessel's captain failed to properly lead a watch crew, which is responsible in maintaining safe navigation.
While the report places blame on the submarine's leader, there are many other areas to be held responsible. The crew had issues with the sonar antenna, which helps them navigate. A number of sailors complained that the system had become severely degraded.
A Navy safety standdown that was established following the April 2021 accident did not aim to address the causes of the allision. The Navy instead focused on the repair of the damage.
The US Navy is in the midst of implementing a series of undersea collision reforms, which will help prevent future accidents. New technology is being developed to aid submarines in navigation of the ocean. Additional training is also being implemented.
The United States Navy conducted a command investigation and found that the vessel's captain failed to effectively manage a watch team. The watch's quartermasters also failed to fulfill their duties.
The Navy maintains that the incident was not life-threatening despite its severity. There are no reports of any damage to the submarine’s nuclear power plant. However, it has been discovered that the forward ballast tanks on the submarine were damaged.
The command investigation report doesn't provide any details about the extent of the damage or the cost of repairs. The report does mention that the submarine is headed back to Washington State for repairs.
The incident led to the US Navy firing the captain of the sub, Lieutenant-Commander Paul Sutherland and two other senior officers. There are currently 13 corrective actions underway. They include more training and improvements to the certification process.
Despite these issues, the Connecticut submarine will soon be returning to Bremerton in Washington for repairs. The submarine was grounded in international waters on October 2, and its leadership is now taking action to improve its operations.
The US Navy has launched a comprehensive investigation into this accident. The Navy's investigation has revealed that the submarine's operations were flawed. This includes poor navigation planning, and unit-level errors during grounding. These issues were found below Navy standards.