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According to press reports citing sources acquainted with the situation, a nuclear-powered submarine of the United States Navy collided with an unidentified “object” while submerged in international waters in the South China Sea on Friday morning. According to sources, US naval officials issued a statement on Thursday stating that there were “no life-threatening injuries” and that the submarine was “totally operational”; nevertheless, the statement was silent on the nature of the item met by the vessel.
The USS Connecticut, a nuclear-powered submarine of the Seawolf class, collided with the ‘object’ five days ago, but the incident was not publicised until Thursday in order to maintain operational security. The US Pacific Fleet issued a brief statement that did not specify what the object was, but did declare that Connecticut was “safe and stable.” The nuclear propulsion plant on the submarine is likewise unaffected, according to the statement.
The level of damage to the rest of the submarine is being analysed, according to the US Navy, which did not elaborate on the location of the incident. It went on to say that the situation would be looked into.
However, two US Navy officials who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity detailed details that had not yet been made public. They verified that the incident occurred as the USS Connecticut was performing routine operations in the South China Sea. Officials say it’s still unclear what the submarine encountered underwater, but it was definitely not another submarine. It may have been a sunken vessel, a container, or any other uncharted object, according to one of the officers.
The news comes as tensions between Washington and Beijing in the South China Sea are at an all-time high, with the US Navy attempting to challenge China’s disputed territorial claims to small islands, reefs, and outcrops. According to CNN, the USS Connecticut submarine was operating in international seas as part of Carrier Strike Group 21, a significant multinational show of force in the region by the US and its allies.
