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Attack Submarine USS Connecticut Suffers Underwater Collision in South China Sea

We used to do all of those things in the 80's and 90's, did we not? The only difference now is that we expect the Navy to defend as much of the ocean as it did then with a much smaller force than we had 40 years ago. We expect it to do increasingly varied missions for longer periods of time, using increasingly more technologically complicated equipment... but at the same time we reduce the incentives for retaining experienced personnel. Something has got to give here.

New sailors today won't put up with it for very long, and they will just leave when their EOS is up.

I don't blame them.

We accepted whatever the Admirals told us back then even if we knew they were full of shit.

I did a entire Med cruise (8 months) that turned into 157 straight days 3 miles off the coast of Somalia, then 4 weeks off of Bosnia/Croatia without a single port visit other than the typical snail wash down in Rota Spain on the way home. We were home for 12 days only to get sent to Port aux Prince Haiti for another 9 weeks.

We had a 450 ship navy back then and we were the only ship ready to go to Haiti?

****ing bullshit!
 
You seem to hate the Navy.
 
You seem to hate the Navy.

I love the Navy and it's still a very large part of my life. Half my neighborhood is active duty Navy.

I and others have earned the right to criticize and demand change.
 
New sailors today won't put up with it for very long, and they will just leave when their EOS is up.

I don't blame them.

We accepted whatever the Admirals told us back then even if we knew they were full of shit.

I did a entire Med cruise (8 months) that turned into 157 straight days 3 miles off the coast of Somalia, then 4 weeks off of Bosnia/Croatia without a single port visit other than the typical snail wash down in Rota Spain on the way home. We were home for 12 days only to get sent to Port aux Prince Haiti for another 9 weeks.

We had a 450 ship navy back then and we were the only ship ready to go to Haiti?

****ing bullshit!

I don't know what to tell you... 450 ships, probably 1/3 of them in refit and another 1/3 getting ready to go out or come back... that leaves 150 or so deployed at any given time, anywhere from Guam to Guantanamo.

I grew up next to the sea... I love sailing and being out on the water - everything about it... but after about a 2 week stretch or so, I've pretty much had my fill for a while. I knew this about myself.... and that's why I joined the Army.
 
Sorry no. They aren't built like the USS Seaview. Even if they did, there is no light as deep as they go. Then to use headlights, would also be giving away their position to the enemy.

They rely on sonar.
Subs rely on Passive sonar more then active
they listen and have equipment that " Listens " and can analyze any noise in the sea and can tell a sub/ship from a whale fart at many miles away
the old SOSUS could detect and track a Sub at ranges of well over a thousand miles ( a very good ocean floor mounted hydrophone system that was known for contacts of several thousands of miles away )
and in my opinion should be upgraded and put back in service
Have a nice day
 
So does anyone know what they hit?
 
So does anyone know what they hit?


They will have to send a survey ship to find out what changed if anything on the map. It could have been an underwater landside that changed the sea floor. It could have been human error in determining where they actually were, or some rocks might have been placed in that area because it is a known transit place for US subs

If it is the last one, then the US navy will have some big concerns as their maps might be made useless and how some other country found out how it is a transit route
 
They will have to send a survey ship to find out what changed if anything on the map. It could have been an underwater landside that changed the sea floor. It could have been human error in determining where they actually were, or some rocks might have been placed in that area because it is a known transit place for US subs

If it is the last one, then the US navy will have some big concerns as their maps might be made useless and how some other country found out how it is a transit route
Why can't their equipment detect a big old obstacle in their path? That's a definite drawback. Radar? I mean, I'm sure they've thought of that, I'm just curious why they can't use it?
 
Fun fact: the US Navy never had ships collide with anything ever prior to the election of Obama.
Fun fact is bullshit:

 
Why can't their equipment detect a big old obstacle in their path? That's a definite drawback. Radar? I mean, I'm sure they've thought of that, I'm just curious why they can't use it?
Radar does not work underwater

They were travelling without using sonar so any new obstacles would not be detected.

The navy would use highly detailed maps to travel deep underwater. Earthquakes, land slides can all alter the sea bed which the map would not show. I expect they update the maps regularly but still could miss something


Subs do that to remain undetected by enemy subs. If they use sonar, they would be detected right away, which subs on patrol do not want.

Heck they might have collided with another sub or underwater drone
 
Radar does not work underwater

They were travelling without using sonar so any new obstacles would not be detected.

The navy would use highly detailed maps to travel deep underwater. Earthquakes, land slides can all alter the sea bed which the map would not show. I expect they update the maps regularly but still could miss something


Subs do that to remain undetected by enemy subs. If they use sonar, they would be detected right away, which subs on patrol do not want.

Heck they might have collided with another sub or underwater drone
Is it SOP to be sneaking about in the South China Sea (or anywhere) as if we were in enemy territory? Or were we in someone's territorial waters? Last I knew, we weren't at war over there. Yet, anyway.
 
Is it SOP to be sneaking about in the South China Sea (or anywhere) as if we were in enemy territory? Or were we in someone's territorial waters? Last I knew, we weren't at war over there. Yet, anyway.



For subs on patrol yes for most countries in most areas.
 
Fun fact is bullshit:


(I know it is. I was addressing the idea that the Navy is somehow especially incompetent today when it’s just a fact of operations that navy ships of all countries occasionally run into shit)
 
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