The USS Connecticut is a Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) and had 140 crew, including 14 officers, at the time of the incident. The US Navy regularly conducts operations in the region to challenge China’s disputed territorial claims on small islands, reefs and outcrops.Īljilani was replaced by an interim commanding officer.įor weeks, the cause of the incident had remained a mystery, with the US Navy initially saying that the submarine hit an “object” while underwater in international waters. According to reports, the crash damaged the sub’s forward ballast tanks, but its nuclear plant was not damaged. Last week the Navy said the investigation showed that the submarine struck an uncharted “seamount” while patrolling below the surface.Įleven sailors were injured in the accident. “Sound judgement, prudent decision-making and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch team execution and risk management could have prevented the incident,” the western Pacific-based 7th Fleet said in a statement.Īfter a damage assessment in Guam, the vessel will return to the US submarine base in Bremerton, Washington for repairs.
The USS Connecticut was forced to sail on the surface for a week to reach Guam. The US Navy has fired the commanding officer, executive officer and top enlisted sailor of a nuclear-powered submarine that crashed into an underwater mountain on October 2, saying the accident was preventable.Ĭommander Cameron Aljilani and two others were removed from their positions on Thursday following an investigation into the crash in the disputed South China Sea.
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