The Seawolf-class attack submarine USS Connecticut. US Navy
An American Navy nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine with nuclear-powered nuclear power struck an object under water in the Indo-Pacific earlier in this month.
The USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class submarine of the Seawolf-class, was damaged and unidentified number of sailors were also injured.
An investigation is underway into the incident.
The submarine, a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine of the US Navy, was in an underwater collision earlier in the month, according to a statement released by the service on Thursday. Unspecified numbers of sailors were also injured and the submarine was damaged.
The US Pacific Fleet stated that the Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut, (SSN 22), struck an object while submerged in international waters in the Indo-Pacific.
USNI News first reported the submarine collision.
PACFLEET refused to reveal the cause of the collision, but only told Insider that it is investigating the matter. Navy Times was told by a Navy Times official that there was no evidence of any land mass in the area.
There are also no reports that the collision involved hostile vessels.
PACFLEET declined to give exact location of the collision, but US officials told Fox News it took place in the South China Sea.
According to the Navy, the submarine is safe and stable, the nuclear propulsion system and associated spaces are not damaged, and there are no life-threatening injuries. According to Navy Times, the injuries were mostly "bumps and bruises" and "lacerations."
Concerning the damage to the submarine, PACFLEET stated that "the extent to which the submarine has been damaged is being evaluated".
The USS Connecticut, which is based at Naval Base Kitsap–Bremerton in Washington was deployed to the Pacific in May. According to Navy Times, the sub-sail that was damaged will arrive in Guam on Thursday.
To protect the damaged hull, a damaged submarine must usually travel on the surface. It is not clear if Connecticut can still submerge.
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The USS Connecticut, one of three Seawolf-class submarines, is widely considered to be one of the most capable submarines in the US Navy. This powerful class of attack submarines was designed to hunt down Soviet submarines deep in the sea. However, the Navy ended the Seawolf program in its wake.
The US Navy maintains a limited fleet of Seawolf class submarines. This includes the USS Seawolf, USS Jimmy Carter and USS Seawolf. However, the primary attack submarine for the US Navy is the Virginia-class submarine.
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