Latest satellite image of the USS Connecticut nuclear submarine
According to the U.S. Naval Academy website (USNI?), News) November 1 news, regarding the reasons for the collision of the US "Connecticut" nuclear submarine in the South China Sea, the relevant investigation results show that the nuclear submarine hit an unknown submarine mountain range on the bottom of the South China Sea. U.S. Seventh Fleet spokeswoman Hayley Sims claimed that "the investigation determined that the USS Connecticut nuclear submarine collided with an unknown mountain range during operations in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region." ”
USS Connecticut nuclear submarine
The much-publicized COLLISION accident of the US nuclear submarine has finally made an official voice, but the details are still "holding the pipa". In the US statement, the valuable sentence is probably "collision with an unknown undersea mountain", and another sentence is used to cover up the ugly sentence, during the so-called "international waters operation in the Indo-Pacific region". What do you mean? I secretly planted things, but I did things within the range allowed by international law, "what can you do to me"!
Modern submarines are always covered with an aura of technological advancement, and it seems that once advanced, they are foolproof, in fact, this is a misunderstanding. Although a nuclear submarine with a huge tonnage such as the "Connecticut" in the accident is limited by conditions due to sophisticated sound nacells and other detection methods. One thing is certain, the US submarine is in the underwater large depth activities of the accident, from the U.S. boat habits, the biggest problem with sonar exploration is that the ocean hydroacoustic propagation situation is very complicated, such as the temperature jump, density jump and other changes in the hydroacoustic propagation conditions, will lead to detection interference, serious interference source will be like a wall, so that the detection of sound waves reflect and refraction, covering the danger nearby.
U.S. Navy Seawolf-class nuclear submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) in Japan Image source: U.S. Navy
More importantly, like the "Connecticut" belongs to the Seawolf class nuclear submarine, has always been taken by the US military to engage in close reconnaissance and surveillance, once in sensitive waters, generally do not open the identity of the active sonar, if the passive sonar to explore the way by the ocean hydroacoustic interference can not stand, basically rely on electronic charts to determine the location, and this time is obviously hydrological research and seabed measurements are not in place to bring hidden dangers. But on the other hand, it also warns us that such activities of the US military will not stop due to impact, but will become more intense, and in addition to submarines, such as our common reconnaissance ships, unmanned underwater vehicles, etc., will appear around our homes more frequently.
Release the submersible
Now, what everyone wants to understand is probably what exactly "Connecticut" did to cause the accident? It has been observed that two aspects may be concerned. One is the U.S. Navy's Fifth Underwater Squadron, where "Connecticut" is located, which takes turns sending three Seawolf-class boats to the global backbone submarine cable node area every year, which carries about 95% of intercontinental voice and data transmission, which is very simple, by repeatedly probing at different points at about 400 meters of water depth, capturing electromagnetic radiation, and once the cable is found, it is then placed above the cable adsorption bugger. Not only that, former US Security Agency consultant Baker said that "Connecticut", which plays the "undersea hacker", can approach the opponent's defense zone, interfere, launch, carry out electronic deception and hacking, all through the antenna on the mast and the collection system on the command tower, specifically for special targets.
Another, that is, based on the consideration of "great power competition", the US Navy's arrival activities in the South China Sea and other coastal waters of China not only form a containment for the Chinese Navy, but also maintain the opportunity of "preemptive strikes" in wartime. In fact, the nuclear submarine is known as "unlimited cruise", but it is by no means blind activity, it will only sail according to the predetermined route, waiting quietly in one place, and the image is called "crouching pit" standby.
The purpose of the "Immaculate" marine reconnaissance ship in the South China Sea is obviously to serve the US nuclear submarines
At present, the general submarine depth of nuclear submarines is about 200-400 meters, as far as the South China Sea is concerned, the average depth is about 1200 meters, after crossing the Bashi Strait into the western Pacific Ocean, the average depth is about 4300 meters, nuclear submarines such as in the "not on the water surface, down to the seabed" place hovering, the currents here and other factors will affect the positioning of the submarine, so the nuclear submarine most hope is to be able to deploy in the flat seabed near the sea area suitable for standby and scheduled combat, with a water depth of about 200-400 meters. This is described by the military as "looking for pits", and such a seabed is definitely a scarce resource, which needs repeated activities and measurements to find, and all the water depths between the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean will be about 200-400 meters near the seabed will be the focus of the visit of nuclear submarines of various countries, considering that nuclear submarines generally do not open active sonar when performing underwater secret tasks, basically rely on chart guidance, do not rule out the possibility of collision accidents caused by old nautical charts.
Original production of "Joint Defense"