Which Seawolf-class submarine hit an underwater mountain? Here’s what you need to know

The US Navy’s submarine fleet may be large, but it only has three Seawolf-class attack submarines: USS Seawolf (SSN 21), USS Connecticut (SSN 22) and USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23). They are some of the most advanced attack submarines in the U.S. fleet, second only to the newer Virginia-class submarines. As advanced as they are, they are only as good as their crew and, unfortunately, sometimes there are mistakes. After all, they are only human. In 2021, the USS Connecticut struck an underwater object in international waters in the South China Sea, knocking the ship out of action. The Connecticut was forced to surface and sail to Guam, which took a week.

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At first, Chinese officials thought the U.S. Navy was covering up the details of the incident, but even they were unsure how such an event could occur. China was understandably upset when the incident occurred near its submarine base on Hainan Island, known to be one of the most sophisticated naval installations in the world. However, it is unlikely that the submarine was spying on the Chinese – which officials implied – because if it were, the Navy would not have made a public announcement, drawing attention to their activities.

This is not to say that the United States does not use submarines and other methods to gather intelligence on its rivals, but it is more likely that the Navy would have used the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23) for such a mission, as it is a modified Seawolf. designed for special operations. So, what exactly happened to the USS Connecticut?

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America has three different classes of nuclear-powered attack submarines: the Los Angeles-class, the Virginia-class, and the Seawolf-class. The Navy intended to replace the aging Los Angeles class with Seawolf submarinesbut due to a combination of costs and changes in submarine goals, the U.S. Navy chose to build only three Seawolf submarines and instead focus on replacing the Los Angeles class with the Virginia class , more advanced. Unlike its predecessor, Seawolf attack submarines do not have a vertical launch system. Instead, they have eight torpedo tubes and can hold up to 50 weapons in their torpedo room.

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The Navy ordered the first Seawolf (SSN 21) in 1989 and it was commissioned in 1997. The second, USS Connecticut (SSN 22), was commissioned in 1998 and the third only in 2005. The Third Seawolf, USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23) is a special case as it received a 100-foot hull extension to improve its payload carrying capabilities. Other modifications it received improved its maneuverability, ballast control, and ability to deploy and recover payloads without the use of torpedo tubes (known as “wasp waist”).

Submerged, Seawolf submarines can go up to 35 knots, but if they decrease their speed to 20 knots, they become much more difficult for opposing submarines to detect. These submarines, according to their manufacturer, General Dynamic Electric Boat, are “less detectable at high speed than a Los Angeles-class submarine sitting at the edge of the dock.” They can travel up to 800 feet deep when they need to, where most hope to avoid underwater mountains.

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Beached submarines are not uncommon. In 2002, the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768) ran aground when the navigation team failed to make proper calculations, suffering $9 billion worth of damage. . This is a rare occurrence, however. Between sonar, fathometers – a device that measures the depth of the water under the ship’s keel – and satellite-generated maps, submarines are good at navigating the ocean depths without hitting any objects. In the case of the USS Connecticut, the quartermaster noted some discrepancies between the submarine’s charts and the depths at which it was sailing.

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The quartermaster informed the officer of the deck (OOD) of the inconsistencies. Although the OOD expressed concern, he chose not to change the ship’s speed or route, nor did he inform the commander. Shortly before colliding with the seamount, the sonar supervisor obtained a reading that he classified as an animal, only to be caught off guard and hit an underwater mountain. All souls on board were unharmed, except for minor injuries sustained by eleven crew members. Unfortunately, all of this could even have been avoided.

The official US Navy report on the Connecticut submarine collision investigation states: “The USS Connecticut ran aground on an unexplored seamount while operating submerged in a poorly surveyed area in international waters of the Indo-Pacific region. » He goes on to say that the collision could have been avoided, that “The grounding was avoidable.” Not a good idea for a submarine crew. This shows a lack of training, expertise and an overall failure of standards if true. In fact, the Navy knew for some time that the captain lacked leadership and did nothing to address it.

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According to Forbes, after almost a year in charge of Connecticut, Commander Cameron Aljilani received what is called a “performance letter” stating that Aljilani demonstrated “inadequate oversight, ineffective accountability practices and ‘a superficial self-assessment’. Seven months later, he received another letter for poor performance. Under his command, the submarine collided with a pier and an investigation was immediately launched. The investigator recommended disciplinary action against those responsible, including from the Commander (CO) down to the Deputy Navigator (ANAV), only for the Commander of Submarine Development Squadron-5 to ignore the recommendation .

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Commanding and operating a highly advanced fast attack submarine is undoubtedly a stressful career that requires long hours and rigorous training. Although most of the blame falls on Aljilani, with multiple reprimands, it appears that the entire seamount incident could have been avoided if someone higher up had intervened.

With significant damage to the submarine after crashing into an underwater mountain – the bow and sonar dome were lost while the lower half of the rudder was also damaged – the USS Connecticut is going to need serious repairs. She first docked in Guam to be sufficiently repaired to make the trip to San Diego, California. After San Diego, the submarine sailed to Puget Sound, Washington, where it could be placed in dry dock and receive repairs. It entered dry dock on July 12, 2023, almost two years after the incident in the South China Sea. The USS Connecticut was already scheduled for what is called Expanded Dry Dock Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA), a process that all submarines undergo during their life cycle.

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An EDSRA not only allows maintenance teams to repair any damage sustained during the October 2021 crash, but it also allows them to upgrade the submarine’s hull and propulsion systems, as well as anything else that has needs to be modernized. Unfortunately, The USS Connecticut will not return to active service until 2026, after receiving $80 million in maintenance and repairs. Even with Connecticut out of commission, there are unfortunately only two other Seawolf-class submarines remaining in active duty, but they are not the only attack submarines in the Navy’s fleet. It’s unfortunate that a submarine is removed from the lineup, but it’s even more embarrassing for everyone involved when the public learns why it was removed.