US nuclear submarine severely damaged in collision ‘didn’t hit another ship’
USS Connecticut hit an underwater mountain, investigation finds
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US Navy has revealed that the nuclear submarine that met with an accident and was damaged in the contested waters of South China Sea last month had hit an underwater mountain and not a foreign vessel.
The nuclear-powered submarine USS Connecticut collided with an “unknown object” on 2 October and suffered severe damage, leaving more than 10 sailors injured. The US 7th Fleet, which operates in the western Pacific Ocean, began an investigation to find the cause.
“The investigation determined USS Connecticut grounded on an uncharted seamount while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region,” 7th Fleet spokesperson Commander Hayley Sims told USNI News, a think tank close to the Navy, on Monday.
The investigation, which was completed last week, has now been passed on to the 7th Fleet commander for review and to determine if there will be any additional accountability actions over the incident, Commander Sims said.
The 2 October collision was confirmed by the Navy only a week after the fact.
The damage to the forward section of the submarine ruined its ballast tanks. The Connecticut — one of three Sea Wolf-class attack nuclear boats that were developed for deep-water operations — is undergoing repairs at Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific.
The collision also became a point of contention between the US and China. Beijing, which already has objections to Washington’s presence in the South China Sea, objected to the “lack of transparency” about the accident and accused the US of a cover-up.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that China had “grave concerns” and accused the US of being “irresponsible” and “cagey” by not providing details about the incident. He said the lack of details gave “every reason to question the truth and the intention of the US”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments