The USS Connecticut is a fast attack submarine powered by nuclear energy, and it was “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.
Luckily, the sailors on the vehicle did not receive any life-threatening injuries.
“The submarine remains in a safe and stable condition,” U.S. Navy’s release states. “USS Connecticut’s nuclear propulsion plant and spaces were not affected and remain fully operational. The extent of damage to the remainder of the submarine is being assessed. The U.S. Navy has not requested assistance. The incident will be investigated.”
The Navy has yet to disclose the exact location of the submarine when it collided. As of now, we only know that it happened in the Indo-Pacific region. Moreover, it was not disclosed how many sailors were injured.
Reuters states that according to US sources, the accident happened in the South China Sea and that “fewer than 15 people” got small injuries like bruises and cuts.
Connecticut was on the journey of the United States’ 7th Fleet area of military administration, which covers the Western Pacific Ocean, a major chunk of the Indian Ocean, and other smaller bodies of water. “The Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) struck an object while submerged on the afternoon of Oct. 2, while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region,” read the Navy’s release. “The safety of the crew remains the Navy’s top priority. There are no life-threatening injuries.”
Connecticut sailed its Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton homeport in Washington State for Pacific deployment. The seawolf-class ship went to Japan at least twice, once in July and the other time in August.
Such submarines keep colliding and it is a common occurrence. The Soryu, a Japanese submarine, collided with a cargo ship in February 2021. The HMS Ambush, a nuclear attack submarine of the Royal Navy’s Astute-class, collided with a commercial tanker on the Gibraltar coast in 2016. In 2005, the USS San Francisco crashed with an undersea seamount, severely damaging its bow.
With this incident, the damage is yet to be calculated entirely. The vehicle is now going towards the U.S base at Guam