The US nuclear submarine USS Connecticut, which was damaged on October 2 during a mission in the South China Sea, most likely collided with an unknown Chinese underwater object, according to the Hong Kong local sources.
According to the sources, after the incident, the satellite recorded the submarine on the surface on October 3, about 77 km from Woody Island, also called Yongxing Island, which is part of the Paracel archipelago, in the South China Sea. The island was controlled by the People’s Republic of China in 1974. Vietnam is claiming ownership of the island. The island is home to a Chinese submarine base and a military airfield.
It is assumed that the USS Connecticut submarine approached the island for reconnaissance, iNews notes.
Submarines of this type, in addition to conducting combat operations, are also designed to perform reconnaissance functions.
At the same time, it is noted that the submarine could hardly collide with the underwater relief. The US Navy, which is constantly operating in the South China Sea, has studied it well.
Most likely, the submarine collided with a Chinese underwater artificial object, recently created near Yongxing Island to counter the approaching enemy forces, according to the sources.
The sea depth in the area of the island is only about 300 meters.
Collision with an unknown object
The day before, American experts reported on social networks that the hull of the bow of the USS Connecticut nuclear submarine, which collided with an unknown object in the South China Sea, was heavily damaged.
“According to the first data received, the hull of the USS Connecticut warhead is seriously damaged. We are waiting for photos,” – said a SubBrief tweeted by veteran US Navy submariner Aaron Amik.
According to the US Navy, a group of military specialists arrived at the base on the island of Guam in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, where the damaged nuclear submarine entered last Friday to inspect the damage and establish its source.
According to the US Navy, as a result of the collision, which occurred in international waters off the South China Sea, 11 of the 130 crew members were injured. They received non-life-threatening injuries.
As pointed out by the US Navy, after the incident “the submarine is in a safe, stable condition.” It was also emphasized that its nuclear installation was not damaged. After the incident, the submarine was forced to go to Guam on the surface.
The US military does not report exactly what the submarine collided with. According to sources in the US Navy, it didn’t collide with another submarine, ship or about aggressive actions of another country. The Navy noted that according to topographic data, there was also no collision with the underwater relief.
According to the latest data from the US military, the submarine could collide with a sunken ship or container that fell into the sea from a cargo ship.
USS Connecticut with a displacement of 7,500 tons is a fourth-generation multipurpose nuclear submarine of the Seawolf type. Its missile armament is up to 50 Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles, which are launched from torpedo tubes. In addition to combat missions, it also performs reconnaissance functions.
There are only three such submarines in the US Navy. All of them are assigned to the Pacific submarine base Kitsap-Bangor (Washington state). The cost of each reaches $ 8.5 billion at current prices.
Image Credit: Getty
You were reading: US nuclear submarine could fall into the trap – sources