The misadventures of AUKUS robot AlboGov never cease. I publish on subs, other naval, nuclear weapons & broad political issues. Aussie sub changes are glacial: talk rather than actual new subs. The 1st Collins LOTE may secretly concern the US Combat System & be ready 2029. Trump may decide to cancel the AUKUS Virginia offer due to USN advice it needs all operational SSNs right through to the 2040s. My colleagues Shawn C and Gessler are excellent writers. Pete.
Regarding what USS Connecticut hit on October 2, 2021 to cause major bow damage.
On October 8, 2021 I wrote:
“But I’d put my money on [Connecticut] hitting the seafloor, a rock or islet.”
On November 1, 2021, USNI News reported:
"Investigators have determined USS Connecticut (SSN-22) hit an uncharted seamount that grounded the nuclear attack submarine on the underwater feature in the South China Sea Navy, USNI News has learned....”
The Chinese are suspicious:
ReplyDeleteChina's state media accuses the US of lying about what happened to
submarine it says hit an underwater mound in the South China Sea
https://news.yahoo.com/chinas-state-media-accuses-us-120038992.html
Hi Anonymous [Nov 3, 2021, 2:15:00 AM]
ReplyDeleteIn the spirit of the US accusing China that Covid escaped from a Wuhan Germ Warfare Lab...
It looks like the Chinese "Wolf Propagandists" are retaliating,
ie. playing US misfortune for all that its worth.
Hi ,Pete
ReplyDeleteThe chinese should do something about these rocks and remove them!
These tend to make silent active ,sonar switch off, undersea subs navigation close to China shore dangerous !
Hi Anonymous [at Nov 4, 2021, 3:32:00 AM]
ReplyDeleteOh no!
The fiendish Chinese, so skilled at pumping sand for man-made islands in the South China Sea, will sieze on your idea.
But in Reverse.
Instead these Orientals will dump rocks around their Yulin Nuclear Submarine Base https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulin_Naval_Base#Description
to upset snooping US subs.
All much cheaper than seafloor sensors and minefields, I expect.
Pete
The SCS seafloor is changing frequently. It is in a zone of heavy seismic activities.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was trying to eavesdrop on some of the Pan Asia trunk fibers. Since recently the fiber linking US and other Asia nations with the US were cut, and those fibers were cut quite frequently. may it's a shark or one monstrous submarine.
The Seawolf class submarines were designed during the cold war. If the USN decide to repair USS Connecticut, may be they can replace the large sonar sphere with a state of the art large aperture bow sonar instead.
KQN
Hi KQN (your Nov 4, 2021, 6:05:00 PM)
ReplyDelete"those fibers were cut quite frequently"
Maybe a great big German whale shark did it! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark
As Sergeant Schultz would say https://youtu.be/HblPucwN-m0
Pete
USS Connecticut CO, XO and COB were fired.
ReplyDeleteUSN also announced they will repair USS Connecticut in Washington State. There are only 3 Seawolf, so the repair is not unexpected.
I am surprised US does not have a dry dock facility anymore in Guam. They should. Repair and maintenance are taking back seats because they are not glamorous like new weapons, this is bad planning.
KQN
Hi KQN
ReplyDeleteSee my latest article "USS Connecticut: Sackings as Expected" at https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/11/uss-connecticut-sackings-as-expected.html
Regards
Pete
Hi Pete
ReplyDeleteIsn't it strange that a US sub (probably with all the high tech and sonars, etc aboard) should hit a seamount? https://www.9news.com.au/world/usa-submarine-south-china-sea-how-did-a-4-billion-us-navy-submarine-hit-an-undersea-mountain/ae110fc1-475e-4cb7-8b3b-fae41b0666b9#:~:text=On%20January%208%2C%202005%2C%20the,among%20the%20crew%20of%20137.
Regards
Kumar
Hi Kumar [Nov 7, 2021, 4:56:00 PM]
ReplyDeleteIts great to hear from you again after all these years :)
The article you point to https://www.9news.com.au/world/usa-submarine-south-china-sea-how-did-a-4-billion-us-navy-submarine-hit-an-undersea-mountain/ae110fc1-475e-4cb7-8b3b-fae41b0666b9#:~:text=On%20January%208%2C%202005%2C%20the,among%20the%20crew%20of%2013
is very interesting, and got me thinking.
I'll posit the following possibility - and see if it gets past the Censors:
USS Connecticut may have an active Nav-sensor, that is very quiet/faint, narrowbeam and narrowband (presumably acoustic spectrum but, not necessarily) to obtain a navigational "picture" of the seafloor that Connecticut is about to move over.
Although active the Nav-sensor's subtle nature makes it usable and undetectable in the normal course of things.
However:
A. If for some reason Connecticut is moving very quickly it might hit a seafloor/seamount before it has a Nav-sensor picture of it.
B. If an opponent, eg. a PRC Navy ship or sub has "more intense" active sensors on - then this may effectively drown out/jam Connecticut's Nav-sensor signal.
OR finally:
C. If Connecticut chose to turn off its Nav-sensor because its in highly sensitive sea-space, THAT HAS SEAFLOOR SENSORS (like the Taiwan Strait or near China's Yulin Nuclear Submarine Base) then in important respects Connecticut would be "flying blind".
And if, in conjunction with possibilities A, B or C, Connectic encounters an UNCHARTED seamont (or other obstruction on the seafloor) Connecticut could collide.