How's my driving? Call: SSN-765

[Don't Panic]

There is something a little Douglas Adamsy about this whole incident.

Possibly why it caught my attention.

[Don't Panic]

The blood will spill when the repair bill gets totted up.

How the fuck do you crash a nuclear attack submarine into a cruiser? Or vice versa? They aren't exactly small.

~600 feet each, IIRC. The circumstances of the collision aren't available yet, are they? I can see a completely accidental collision, and a collision due to inattention by one or more parties, and something in between.

Hmmm, pity the AEGIS cruiser doesn't have some sort of radar that would have allowed it to see if there were anything nearby.

That would be a job for the ASW escorts, surely? Something in the Oliver Hazard Perry class? AEGIS is strictly above water.

But even still, you'd think the AEGIS ships would have some basic gear to check if there were any underwater nasties in their path. Even if it was meant mainly for rocks and suchlike. Of course, rocks don't move at 30 knots.

EDIT: The Ticonderoga-class AEGIS ships do have sonar ... that's what actually got damaged in this incident.

I have a feeling the sub may have been on the surface.

Los Angeles class boats have radar for use on the surface IIRC.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It doesn't sound like a big deal if the sonar dome is the only thing damaged. It's made out of rubber.

[Don't Panic]

It doesn't sound like a big deal if the sonar dome is the only thing damaged. It's made out of rubber.

So long as the contents of the dome didn't get damaged too.

They do tend to be a little bit pricey to replace.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It doesn't sound like a big deal if the sonar dome is the only thing damaged. It's made out of rubber.

So long as the contents of the dome didn't get damaged too.

They do tend to be a little bit pricey to replace.

That's the thing, they expect the dome to get damaged, look at the picture I posted earlier. So the transceivers are waterproofed, as are the cable ports that go inboard to the sonar room.

Check this one. Dome's almost submerged and the keel is barely wet. (The black part is rubber, no paint to affect the signals.)

[klr]

The blood will spill when the repair bill gets totted up.

How the fuck do you crash a nuclear attack submarine into a cruiser? Or vice versa? They aren't exactly small.

~600 feet each, IIRC. The circumstances of the collision aren't available yet, are they? I can see a completely accidental collision, and a collision due to inattention by one or more parties, and something in between.

Hmmm, pity the AEGIS cruiser doesn't have some sort of radar that would have allowed it to see if there were anything nearby.

That would be a job for the ASW escorts, surely? Something in the Oliver Hazard Perry class? AEGIS is strictly above water.

But even still, you'd think the AEGIS ships would have some basic gear to check if there were any underwater nasties in their path. Even if it was meant mainly for rocks and suchlike. Of course, rocks don't move at 30 knots.

EDIT: The Ticonderoga-class AEGIS ships do have sonar ... that's what actually got damaged in this incident.

I have a feeling the sub may have been on the surface.

Los Angeles class boats have radar for use on the surface IIRC.

Modern submarines* are optimised for underwater travel. The press releases mention "routine operations", so it's highly likely that the sub was underwater. Also, if it did for the cruiser's sonar dome, it would have to be underwater.

*As in just about anything designed in the last 50/60 years.

[klr]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/internatio ... 996567.ece

A US Navy nuclear submarine on Sunday collided with a cruiser off the coast of northeastern Florida, but there were no injuries aboard the two vessels involved in the accident during an exercise.

The submarine USS Montpelier (SSN 765) and the Aegis cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) collided while participating in a “group sail” along with another vessel, ABC news reported quoting a Navy statement.

The statement adds that there were no injuries aboard either ship and that the submarine’s nuclear powered reactor “was unaffected by this collision.”

The incident is under investigation.

A Navy official says three ships were participating in an anti-submarine exercise in preparation for an upcoming deployment as part of the strike group for the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman.

According to the official, the initial assessment of damage is that there was a complete depressurisation of the sonar dome aboard the San Jacinto. Located below the water line of surface warships, sonar domes provide the bulbous shape to the bows of warships.

After the collision, the official said, the submarine surfaced and communications were established between all the ships on the scene.

...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

*As in just about anything designed in the last 50/60 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skipjack_class_submarine

[Ian]

I'm astonished that it was the San Jacinto, whatever the reasons were. During my time in service the San Jac was well-known for being a very capable and well-run ship, often winning the annual "Battle E" commendation for its division. They were like a gold standard for the other east coast ships.

Maybe they still are, I dunno. I don't have enough information yet on exactly how this happened.

[klr]

*As in just about anything designed in the last 50/60 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skipjack_class_submarine

The German Type XXI was earlier still of course, but it didn't have the optimised hull design and the nuclear reactor.

I'm astonished that it was the San Jacinto, whatever the reasons were. During my time in service the San Jac was well-known for being a very capable and well-run ship, often winning the annual "Battle E" commendation for its division. They were like a gold standard for the other east coast ships.

Maybe they still are, I dunno. I don't have enough information yet on exactly how this happened.

Sounds like you have the inside track. Just the man we need.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I'm astonished that it was the San Jacinto, whatever the reasons were. During my time in service the San Jac was well-known for being a very capable and well-run ship, often winning the annual "Battle E" commendation for its division. They were like a gold standard for the other east coast ships.

Maybe they still are, I dunno. I don't have enough information yet on exactly how this happened.

Are they faulting her in the prelims?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19940049

"According to the Reuters source, the watch team aboard the San Jacinto saw a periscope rise from the water about 100 to 200 yards (metres) ahead of the vessel. The cruiser ordered "all back" but too late to avoid a collision."

[JimC]

Sub driver's fault, it would seem...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Sub driver's fault, it would seem...

Like the Japanese ship that was sunk off Hawaii back in the '90s (?).

[JimC]

If it was an emergency ascent, fair enough...

If not, a major oopsie...

Surely a sub's passive sonar will tell her where a cruiser under power is?