USS Connecticut: Submarine damaged in South China Sea collision

A nuclear-powered Navy submarine has been damaged in a collision in the South China Sea, injuring U.S. sailors but leaving the multibillion-dollar vessel operational, officials said.

The collision occurred on Oct. 2, but was not disclosed until Thursday. A Navy official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity, said keeping the matter quiet for several days allowed the crew of the USS Connecticut time to travel back to Guam, where the attack submarine is expected to arrive soon. Sailors suffered minor and “moderate” injuries, the official said, without specifying the extent of them.

“The submarine remains in a safe and stable condition,” the Navy said in a statement. “USS Connecticut’s nuclear propulsion plant and spaces were not affected and remain fully operational. The extent of damage to the remainder of the submarine is being assessed.”

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The Navy said in its statement that the service has not requested assistance to respond to the mishap, which was first reported by USNI News. The service plans to investigate what happened. The Navy official said it is believed the vessel could have collided with an inanimate object, such as a submerged shipwreck or shipping container.

The Navy said in its statement that the collision occurred “in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region.” The Navy official added that it was in the South China Sea, an area in which the United States has sought to keep open international shipping lanes as China makes territorial claims. It is not believed that China caused the collision, the Navy official said. The Connecticut was monitored by other U.S. vessels in the region as it moved to Guam, the official added.

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The collision occurred during a busy time in the Pacific region, with the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier, and its escort ships moving through the South China Sea in recent days. The Carl Vinson more recently was spotted in the Philippine Sea, operating with two other aircraft carriers, the USS Ronald Reagan and the British HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The USS Connecticut is 353 feet long, and typically carries a crew of about 15 officers and 100 enlisted sailors, according to Navy fact sheets. It’s part of the service’s Seawolf class of submarines, a Cold War-era fleet designed to chase Soviet subs. The class was expected to include up to 30 vessels, but only three were built after the Cold War ended and the Pentagon’s priorities shifted, according to a Congressional Research Service report.