Two nuclear submarine accidents have occurred in the U.S. Navy over the past three-years, one of which resulted in 14 deaths. It also caused many injuries. The latest incident took place in the South China Sea last October. The incident occurred amid rising tensions in the region.
The USS Connecticut, which was in South China Sea at the time of this incident, was operating a mission on October 2, 2021. The boat was damaged and a portion of it was lost when it collided with an unknown object at depth and speed. The submarine was immediately sent to Guam for evaluation. The U.S. Pacific Fleet released a statement a few more days later.
The cause of the crash was investigated. According to the report there were numerous mistakes, including failures with risk management and navigation planning. The vessel's leadership team failed in their responsibility to properly implement a watch group, which is responsible of maintaining safe navigation.
Although the report lays blame on the leadership of the submarine, there are many other areas of blame. The crew had issues with the sonar antenna, which helps them navigate. It had suffered severe degradation from several sailors.
A Navy safety standdown that was established following the April 2021 accident did not aim to address the causes of the allision. Instead, the Navy concentrated on repairing the damage.
The US Navy is in the midst of implementing a series of undersea collision reforms, which will help prevent future accidents. Some of the reforms include the development of new technology for helping submarines navigate the ocean. Training is also provided.
The United States Navy found out that the ship's commander failed to successfully lead a watch crew. The quartermasters responsible for the watch also failed in their duties.
Despite the severity of the accident, the Navy says that it is not currently aware of any life-threatening injuries. There have been no reports of damage to submarine's nuclear plant. However, the forward ballast tank on the submarine was damaged.
The command investigation reports does not give any information about the extent or cost of the damage. The report does mention that the submarine is headed back to Washington State for repairs.
Following the incident, the US Navy has sacked the captain of the submarine, Lieutenant-Commander Paul Sutherland, and two other senior officers. Currently, 13 corrective measures are in progress. They include further training and improvements to certification.
Despite the issues mentioned, the Connecticut submarine is expected to soon return to Bremerton Washington for repairs. The submarine was grounded in international waterways on October 2. Its leadership is taking steps to improve its operations.
The US Navy has launched a comprehensive investigation into this accident. The report has uncovered a number of errors in the way the submarine was operated, including a lack of proper navigation planning and unit-level errors in grounding. These issues were found to be below the Navy's standards.