Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

US Nuclear sub has hit an unknown object in the South China sea

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

US Nuclear sub has hit an unknown object in the South China sea

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 07:52
  #41 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: A better place.
Posts: 2,319
Received 24 Likes on 16 Posts
Can any ex-submariners explain how, if the boat hit an uncharted seamount, the crew or Commander might be held responsible?
If I understand this correctly, if the boat isn't pinging with active sonar - it can't actually `see' any objects in front of it, and is entirely reliant on it's INS and the accuracy of existing charts to know where it is - right?
tartare is offline  
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 10:40
  #42 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Portsmouth
Posts: 530
Received 174 Likes on 93 Posts
Originally Posted by tartare
Can any ex-submariners explain how, if the boat hit an uncharted seamount, the crew or Commander might be held responsible?
If I understand this correctly, if the boat isn't pinging with active sonar - it can't actually `see' any objects in front of it, and is entirely reliant on it's INS and the accuracy of existing charts to know where it is - right?
Correct - but with the proviso that course/speed/depth selection should be appropriate for the level of accuracy and age of the chart.

We had a similar incident with HMS Superb in 2008. I've seen the damage - not public domain - and it made a mess of the forward free-flood spaces. In that case the CO mis read the chart.
Not_a_boffin is offline  
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 12:09
  #43 (permalink)  
Tabs please !
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Biffins Bridge
Posts: 954
Received 371 Likes on 222 Posts
Thanks for the recommendation, the south American river supplier will deliver shortly,
B Fraser is online now  
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 12:55
  #44 (permalink)  
Suspicion breeds confidence
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Gibraltar
Posts: 2,405
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Not_a_boffin
Correct - but with the proviso that course/speed/depth selection should be appropriate for the level of accuracy and age of the chart.

We had a similar incident with HMS Superb in 2008. I've seen the damage - not public domain - and it made a mess of the forward free-flood spaces. In that case the CO mis read the chart.
Which is why all major navies invest in hydrographic survey ships. Not so long ago 40+ year old charts were commonplace, things have improved greatly in recent years, but to survey the Pacific would be a mammoth task and would take years. I saw the damage to USS San Francisco after a similar incident - it nearly sank - ouch.

Last edited by Navaleye; 3rd Nov 2021 at 13:21.
Navaleye is offline  
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 13:03
  #45 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Scotland
Age: 43
Posts: 124
Received 14 Likes on 6 Posts
Originally Posted by tartare
Can any ex-submariners explain how, if the boat hit an uncharted seamount, the crew or Commander might be held responsible?
If I understand this correctly, if the boat isn't pinging with active sonar - it can't actually `see' any objects in front of it, and is entirely reliant on it's INS and the accuracy of existing charts to know where it is - right?
Not a submariner, but all US submarines will have a fathometer that will use low power directional acoustic signals (not really comparable to "active sonar" as would generally be understood). I presume that there are many circumstances where the use of active fathometers would not be appropriate, but the decision on whether or not to use it is one that could be examined. In addition, there are now published demonstrations of passive fathometers and it is probably safe to assume that, if the technology and signal processing methods are public domain, the US navy has even more developed technology.
Recc is offline  
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 16:36
  #46 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 2,699
Received 940 Likes on 557 Posts
I would sack the for'ard lookout.
Ninthace is online now  
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 21:21
  #47 (permalink)  

"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: England
Age: 77
Posts: 4,142
Received 224 Likes on 66 Posts
Ninthace
I would sack the for'ard lookout.
I was going to suggest a big window in the front, and a whacking great headlight..
Herod is offline  
Old 3rd Nov 2021, 23:02
  #48 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 2,699
Received 940 Likes on 557 Posts
Originally Posted by Herod
Ninthace I was going to suggest a big window in the front, and a whacking great headlight..
And anti collision strobes on the sea mounts. Makes sense except this one wasn't on the chart.

Better idea and cheaper than cutting a window. Two glass bow caps, a nob off powerful searchlight in one tube and a scuttle in the rear door of the other tube to squint through. I leave the details to the spanner jockeys, I am more of an ideas man.

If that is too dear, what about a long white stick bolted to the front end?
Ninthace is online now  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 00:47
  #49 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: A better place.
Posts: 2,319
Received 24 Likes on 16 Posts
Hmm - a searchlight.
Noting that you're joking (?) as someone who knows very little about submarine warfare, I assume that any emitted radiation - even frequency hopping - of any strength and spectra is probably pretty good at broadcasting one's position, visible light, LIDAR, same issue, and infrared.
If `seeing' ahead underwater without giving away one's position was possible, shirley someone would have done so by now...?
Recc - the passive fathometer stuff is intriguing.
Knowing a little about passive radar in the aviation world, I presume at the depths most submarines are at, there is not enough biologic or ambient noise to provide any sort of passive `image' of what is ahead.
Advice from those who know more appreciated.
Interested to read too about how out of date some charts still are.
I had assumed that areas of interest such as the South China Sea were mapped and know to the millimetre - but clearly not so!
This whole business of underwater navigation is fascinating stuff.

Last edited by tartare; 4th Nov 2021 at 02:04.
tartare is offline  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 07:52
  #50 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Australia
Age: 56
Posts: 199
Received 5 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Herod
Ninthace I was going to suggest a big window in the front, and a whacking great headlight..
That's part of the new AUKUS design - with a flyscreen and opening window for the warm tropical waters to our North.
Mk 1 is offline  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 07:59
  #51 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Over the hills and far away
Posts: 93
Received 7 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Herod
Ninthace I was going to suggest a big window in the front, and a whacking great headlight..
It was good enough for the ‘Seaview’ in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and that was real. Well it was on the tele.
Radley is offline  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 08:57
  #52 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: A better place.
Posts: 2,319
Received 24 Likes on 16 Posts
Originally Posted by Radley
It was good enough for the ‘Seaview’ in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and that was real. Well it was on the tele.
Remember it well.
Especially the flying subs!

The transparent-hull "window-section" bow of Seaview was not rounded like a traditional submarine but was faired into a pair of manta winglike, stationary bow planes (in addition to her more conventional sail planes). This was added after the original B-29-like front with twelve pairs of windows on two levels was modified for "Freudian anatomically analogous issues."
tartare is offline  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 10:03
  #53 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,056
Received 2,930 Likes on 1,250 Posts
Originally Posted by Ninthace
I would sack the for'ard lookout.
You cannot blame him, my bet would be the second officer had been reassigned prior to sailing and took the keys to the lookouts locker containing their binoculars.

Mount a PNG camera on the front and a screen inside or some of those car reversing aid jobbies that detect walls etc..
NutLoose is online now  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 11:10
  #54 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,576
Received 425 Likes on 224 Posts
PNG? Now you’re really showing your age!
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 12:31
  #55 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MARS
Posts: 1,102
Received 10 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by Ninthace View Post
I would sack the for'ard lookout.
You owe me a new keyboard. This one is covered in tea!
Widger is offline  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 19:52
  #56 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Nevada, USA
Posts: 1,609
Received 43 Likes on 30 Posts
As expected, CO, XO & COB all relieved for "Loss of confidence"

USS Connecticut CO, XO, COB Relieved Over Collision in South China Sea ‘Due to Loss of Confidence’ - USNI News
RAFEngO74to09 is offline  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 07:26
  #57 (permalink)  
short flights long nights
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,881
Received 154 Likes on 48 Posts
Originally Posted by RAFEngO74to09

Tea and no biscuits?
SOPS is online now  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 09:22
  #58 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 2,699
Received 940 Likes on 557 Posts
Originally Posted by SOPS
Tea and no biscuits?
Loss of confidence? Could be tea and sympathy but I doubt it. To err is human, to forgive is not Navy policy.
Ninthace is online now  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 11:37
  #59 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,056
Received 2,930 Likes on 1,250 Posts
More on the incident, its arrived safely at port.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/04/a...dst/index.html
NutLoose is online now  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 12:02
  #60 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 776
Received 571 Likes on 209 Posts
Officially, in which direction does this ‘loss of confidence’ flow? Downwards from Fleet Command, who could have lost a submarine, or upwards from the rest of the crew, who probably didn’t enjoy having their boat rammed into a mountain.
Video Mixdown is online now  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.