Navy Investigating USS Louisiana Nuclear Submarine Collision into MSC Ship

[dimsum]

Oops. 

The Navy is still determining the level of damage incurred on a nuclear ballistic missile submarine and a Military Sealift Command support vessel following a collision last week, service officials told USNI News on Monday.

On Thursday around 6 p.m. PST, USS Louisiana (SSBN-743) collided with the offshore support vessel USNS Eagleview (T-AGSE-3) in the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the coast of Washington state, Lt. Tia Nichole McMillen with Commander, Submarine Fleet Pacific (COMSUBPAC) told USNI News.

“There is impact damage on the aft port hull of [Eagleview] and the forward starboard hull of the USS Louisiana,” McMillen said.
“Both ships returned safely to port under their own power.”

https://news.usni.org/2016/08/22/navy-investigating-uss-louisiana-nuclear-submarine-collision-msc-ship

 

[Eye In The Sky]

And...sometime in the not to distant future...

"Captain who was found at fault for the collision says he is not to blame at interview today at his new job site"

 

[CBH99]

One of the reasons I could never be a submariner.

Collisions between submarines & surface ships seems to happen frequently enough, even if those collisions aren't extremely serious.  But if a submarine on the surface on the water doesn't have the situational awareness to avoid colliding with a surface ship, how the heck does it have enough situational awareness not to ram right into things while 500m+ under water?

Frig that. 

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Actually, CBH99, it is very easy to not ram into things when you are at a depth of 500+ meters. There is nothing to ram at that depth (except whales - submarines have been known to accidentally run into whales - or vice-versa).

We better wait and see the result of the investigation. In Juan de Fuca straight, collision leaving damage as described means they were travelling in the same direction. The most likely scenario is they were working together (submarine support is the mission of the MSC ship described here) and something went wrong. Until we know what and all the circumstances, I wouldn't bet on the cause or on any one's responsibility.