US media: The first time a US nuclear submarine left Guam after hitting a seamount, its destination is a mystery

On November 18, the U.S. Warzone website published an article titled "Connecticut Left Guam Harbor for the First Time Since Hitting Seamount," written by Joseph Trevisik. The full text is excerpted below:

The U.S. Navy's Seawolf-class nuclear submarine, the USS Connecticut, reportedly left the Guam port on its own earlier Thursday. Its destination is unclear, but we know the submarine is undergoing tests and expect it to travel to Washington State.

More than a month ago, the extremely advanced submarine hit an unmarked submarine mountain on the map while sailing in the Pacific Ocean, seriously damaged. The U.S. Navy has since said it was an avoidable accident.

The U.S. Naval Academy news website was the first to report the departure of the Connecticut. Signs that the submarine had left the Port of Apra berth first appeared on social media on the 17th, including a post in China's "South China Sea Strategic Situational Awareness" program. The submarine has been here since arriving in Guam on Oct. 8, and the accident is said to have occurred in the South China Sea.

The latest satellite images taken from the Planetary Laboratory in Port Apra on the 17th seem to show that the submarine is still in place for several weeks. However, the time on this image shows that it was taken before social media first reported that the ship left port.

Cindy Fields, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force, told the Warzell website: "The USS Connecticut has been undergoing damage assessments, repairs and tests while in Guam. The submarine remains in a safe and stable state. She could not comment on whether the submarine was launched for any reason.

The U.S. Navy has consistently said that the remainder of the Connecticut's nuclear reactor and its propulsion system was not damaged in the accident. It's unclear how badly the submarine collided with the submarine, and satellite imagery suggests its bow sonar deflector may have been completely knocked off. There were also reports that its ballast tank and other parts of its hull bottom had been severely damaged.

While we can't be absolutely sure, there is a clear possibility that the Connecticut is currently sailing off the coast of Guam, or has at least sailed for some time, to determine if it can travel on its own to another base. That's in line with Fields' statement, which said the Navy was still assessing the extent of the submarine's damage, but that the Navy had also been on board for unspecified "repairs" and "tests."

If the damage to the Connecticut is as severe as reported, it will need to be put in a dry dock at that time. The Port of Apra does not have enough facilities to carry out such repairs, and the Navy has previously said it plans to repair the submarine more thoroughly at its home port in Bremerton, Washington. If the ship could not sail safely on the high seas, the Navy would have to hire a company to use a heavy lifting cargo ship to transport it out of Guam.

By all indications, at least for now, the U.S. Navy remains committed to repairing the Connecticut and putting it back into service, no matter how costly and how long it takes. This makes sense, as Warzone pointed out in our previous reports, as this is one of the 3 Seawolf-class nuclear submarines built to date. These are advanced and much-needed assets with powerful intelligence-gathering capabilities that can be used to carry out a variety of specialized tasks.

While the Navy is still figuring out how to handle the USS Connecticut, the Navy has launched a program to conduct new "navigation safety training" throughout its submarine force.

Source: Reference News Network