Image source: topwar.ru
On October 2, 2021, the Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine of the US Navy, USS Connecticut, while performing a mission in the waters of the South China Sea, was damaged as a result of a collision with an unknown object. 11 crew members of the submarine were injured. But the submarine's nuclear power plant was allegedly not damaged.
However, the submarine could no longer perform the assigned tasks for a long time. As for the crew members, although physically the most severe injury can be called a broken shoulder blade of one of the sailors, more than a third of the personnel after the submarine arrived at the base on the island of Guam went to receive psychological help.
Naturally, the emergency with the nuclear submarine excited not only the American, but also the world community. The US Navy launched an investigation, which revealed that the cause of the accident was problems with navigation, planning and risk management.
Rear Admiral Christopher Kavanaugh, who led the investigation, wrote that running aground at such a speed and depth could lead to more serious consequences, including loss of life and loss of a submarine. In November 2021, the US Navy removed the submarine commander and a number of senior officers from their posts. This indicates that the causes of the accident should still be sought in the lack of care or competence of the submarine crew.
According to the investigation, the navigation inspection team, which includes the commander of the submarine, could not find and note at least 10 underwater risks near the stranding site. The commander of the submarine and the senior assistant commander mistakenly decided that the submarine would operate in an open area.
By the way, the investigation revealed the causes of the previous accident on the USS Connecticut, which occurred just six months before the emergency in the South China Sea. Then, in April 2021, the submarine collided with the pier of the naval base in San Diego. The deterioration of standards in navigation and planning also caused the previous accident. It is time for the American Naval Command to draw serious conclusions about the quality of personnel training, and not ordinary sailors, but senior officers holding the positions of commanders, senior assistants to commanders and commanders of nuclear submarines.
