US nuclear sub collides with Japanese oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=§ion=theworld&xfile=data/theworld/2007/January/theworld_January238.xml

WASHINGTON - A US Navy nuclear-powered submarine collided with a Japanese oil tanker in one of the world’s busiest seaways but no injuries were immediately reported.

The USS Newport News was underwater when it hit the oil tanker Mogamigawa late Monday in the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea, said a US navy spokeswoman in Bahrain, Lieutenant Denise Garcia.

The strait is located between Iran and Oman and is one of the busiest routes for oil tankers. The Newport News is part of a US carrier group that is on anti-terrorism duties in the region.

But the US military said it is investigating the cause of the accident, which Garcia said happened at about 10:15pm (2015 GMT) on Monday.

[Beelzebud]

1. Well I wonder how many millions of gallons of crude is in the ocean now...

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. None, it seems

Damage to the fast-attack USS Newport News submarine and the supertanker was light and there was no resulting spill of oil or leakage of nuclear fuel, officials from the U.S. Navy and the Japanese government said.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2780266

Going by this, most, if not all, large tankers are now double-hulled, so they should be able to survive minor collisions without leaking.

[we can do it]

2. WTF - This Makes You Wonder Who The Hell Is Driving These Things

I mean really - two sub collisions in the past couple years? Maybe the training these sub pilots are receiving needs to be reviewed at least.

[Junkdrawer]

3. So..a US nuclear-powered submarine off the coast of Iran...

Iranian waters???? :shrug:

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Yep! And guess which branch the new guy in Iraq is from

that is replacing Abizaid. Hint: He's an Admiral.

One 'analyst' made the comment yesterday that they're using more Navy people because they've tapped out the Army and Marines. But, you've gotta wonder...

[The Stranger]

5. Oops -- guess there's hard proof the tankers are still going and Iran hasn't shut down the strait.

Unlike what posters here on DU were claiming Iran was going to do yesterday.

Why hasn't this been reported in any U.S. media outlets?

[madokie]

6. something as big as an oil tanker and the nuclear sub couldn't see it

with all its high tech gear, I'm appalled. a freking oil tanker geeezzee

[bpj1962]

7. nuclear Subs

All of the Los Angeles class attack subs are nuclear. I do not know if the US Navy has any diesel subs on active duty. It is standard operating procedure for attack subs to be included with a carrier attack group. They have a dual role as either a cruise missile platform or in their primary function as a sub hunter. The Iranians have several KILO class diesel subs which are very hard to detect. There is no reason for the ships to have collided unless something was wrong with the sub. Even without active sonar they can hear the propellers of the tanker for miles away and they can then plot a course to steer clear of him or in some cases they will use the coordinates of that ship to run missile/torpedo drills.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Thanks

I would have thought as much. It's not like oil tankers have "run silent" protocols. And the props on those things are gigantic and create a lot of noise. There is something fishy about these circumstances. (Pun intended.)

The Professor

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Dupe

.