The US Navy said in a statement that the “Connecticut” nuclear-powered fast attack submarine “struck an object underwater while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region on the afternoon of October 2.”
Lieutenant Mark Jamison/U.S. Navy/AFP
The US Navy fired the commander, executive officer and senior soldiers of a nuclear-powered submarine that crashed into a mountain on Thursday, saying the October 2 accident was preventable.
After investigating the controversial crash in the South China Sea, Commander Cameron Aljilani and two others were removed.
The USS Connecticut was forced to sail for a week on the surface to reach Guam.
The Seventh Fleet in the Western Pacific said in a statement:
Correct judgment, prudent decision-making, and compliance with the necessary procedures in navigation planning, on-duty team execution, and risk management could have prevented accidents.
After a damage assessment on Guam, the ship will return to the U.S. submarine base in Bremerton, Washington for repairs.
The Navy said last week that investigations revealed that the submarine hit an unknown “seamount” while patrolling underwater.
11 sailors were injured in the accident. According to reports, the crash damaged the front ballast tank of the submarine, but its nuclear power plant was not damaged.
The US Navy conducts regular operations in the area to challenge China’s disputed territorial claims on small islands and outcrops.
Algilani was replaced by an interim commander.
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