Major submarine incidents since 2000
Encyclopedia
Since the year 2000, there have been twenty major naval incidents involving twenty-two submarine
s: nine American
submarines, five Russia
n, four British
, one Chinese
, one Canadian
, one Australia
n, and one French
.
submarine (which was the world's largest class of cruise-missile submarine) Kursk sank in the Barents Sea
when a leak of hydrogen peroxide
in the forward torpedo room led to the detonation of a torpedo warhead, which in turn triggered the explosion of around half a dozen other warheads about two minutes later. This second explosion was equivalent to about 3-7 tons of TNT and was large enough to register on seismographs across Northern Europe. The explosion and the flooding by high pressure seawater killed the majority of the submarine's 118 sailors. Twenty-three survived in the stern
of the submarine, but despite an international rescue effort, they died several days later either from a flash fire or suffocation
due to a lack of oxygen
. The Russian Navy was severely criticized in its home country by family members of the deceased crew for failure to accept international help in a timely manner.
On February 9, 2001, the American submarine accidentally struck and sank a Japanese high-school fisheries training ship, Ehime-Maru, killing nine of the 35 Japan
ese aboard, including four students, 10 miles (16.1 km) off the coast of O'ahu
. The collision occurred while members of the public were on board the submarine observing an emergency surface drill.
A naval inquiry found that the accident was the result of poorly executed sonar
sweeps, an ineffective periscope
search by the submarine's captain, Commander Scott Waddle, bad communication among the crew and distractions caused by the presence of the 16 civilian guests aboard the submarine.
The Navy and the command of the Greeneville have been criticized for making no attempt to help the Japanese on the Ehime Maru that survived the initial collision.
collided with the Leif Hoegh liquefied natural gas
tanker
Norman Lady, east of the Strait of Gibraltar. No one on either vessel was hurt, and there were no leaks of oil from fuel tanks and no threat to the environment, but the submarine sustained damage to her periscope and sail area, and put into La Maddalena, Sardinia, for repairs. Her commanding officer, Commander Richard Voter, was relieved of his command on 30 November. One other officer and two enlisted crew members also were disciplined for dereliction of duty.
's Trafalgar-class submarine
, ran aground close to Skye, causing £5 million worth of damage to her hull and injuring three sailors. It was travelling 50 metres below the surface at more than 14 knots (27.4 km/h) when Lieutenant-Commander Tim Green, a student in the The Perisher
course for new submarine commanders, ordered a course change that took her onto the rocks at Fladda Chuain, a small but well-charted islet.
A report issued in May 2008, stated that tracing paper (used to protect navigational charts) had obscured vital data during a training exercise. Furthermore, the officer in charge of the training exercise had not been tracking the submarine's position using all the available equipment. Commanders Robert Fancy and Ian McGhie were court martialled
and reprimanded over the incident.
submarine of the Royal Australian Navy
(RAN) was operating near her maximum safe diving depth off the coast of Western Australia when a seawater hose burst. The high-pressure seawater flooded the lower engine room before the hose was sealed off: it was estimated that if the inflow had continued for another twenty seconds, the weight of the water would have prevented Dechaineux from returning to the surface. The RAN recalled the Collins class submarines to the naval base HMAS Stirling after the incident, and after engineers were unable to determine any flaws in the pipes that could have caused the incident, instructed that the maximum safe depth of the class be reduced.
due to a mechanical malfunction. The accident took place off the coast of Liaoning province in northeast China. The vessel was recovered and towed to an unidentified port. The cause of the accident is not known, but it is believed that the crew suffocated due to malfunctioning diesel engines, which consumed all the oxygen present in the interior of the submarine.
K-159 sank in the Barents Sea
. The submarine had been decommissioned, and was in the process of being towed for scrapping. Of the skeleton crew
of ten aboard the submarine, nine perished.
submarine ran aground in the harbor of La Maddalena
, Sardinia
causing approximately US$
9 million worth of damage to the submarine.
submarine suffered two fires after leaving Faslane
for Halifax. One crewmember, Navy Lieutenant Chris Saunders, died the following day while being transported to Ireland via helicopter. Investigations concluded that poor insulating of power cables caused the fires.
The Board of Enquiry found that the fire was caused by a series of events that led to electric arcing at cable joints because of sea water penetrating the joints.
submarine, while underway, submerged, collided with an undersea mountain 350 miles (563.3 km) south of Guam
. Machinist Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died of injuries suffered in the accident, which occurred when the submarine was on a high-speed run to Brisbane
, Australia
. Around 60 other sailors were also injured in the accident, some seriously. The collision was so serious that the vessel was almost lost - accounts detail a desperate struggle for positive buoyancy after the forward ballast tanks were ruptured. Several news websites stated that the submarine hit an 'Uncharted Sea Mount' at speed. The boat's skipper, CDR Kevin Mooney, was later relieved of command after an investigation revealed that the ship was using inadequate voyage planning techniques. The submarine experienced a rapid deceleration from greater than 25 knots (49 km/h), causing everything not attached to the submarine to go flying forward and a section of the bow to cave in. Temporary repairs were completed, and the submarine transited to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The ship's bow section has been replaced with that of a retired sister ship, the .
AS-28
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
while operating off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula
became entangled in a fishing net, or possibly by cables belonging to an underwater antenna assembly, at a depth of 190 meters (600 ft). Unable to free itself, the submarine was stuck with a depleting airsupply.
After a multi-national effort - a Royal Navy team using a Scorpio ROV
was able to free the submarine from the entanglement, allowing it to return to the surface. All seven crew members were rescued safely.
about 30 nautical miles (55.6 km) northeast of Bahrain
when it collided with a Turkish
merchant ship, MV Yasa Aysen. No injuries were reported on either vessel. Damage to the submarine was described as "superficial." The Turkish ship suffered minor damage to its hull just above the water line, which the United States Coast Guard
inspected and found still seaworthy. The Philadelphia's Commanding Officer, CDR Steven M. Oxholm, was relieved following the incident.
St. Daniel of Moscow suffered a fire which resulted in the deaths of two crewmen (a warrant officer
and a sailor
). At the time of the incident the submarine was anchored off the Rybachiy peninsula, on Russia's north coast near the border with Norway. The fire was extinguished with no damage to the reactor (which had been scram
med as a precaution) and the submarine was towed to a base at Vidyayevo
. The incident was reported as being caused by an electrical fire in the vessel's wiring.
, England
. This resulted in the deaths of Senior Chief Thomas Higgins (Chief of the boat
) and Sonar Technician 2nd Class Michael Holtz. After the preliminary investigation, Commander
Edwin Ruff received a punitive letter of reprimand
, stating that the accident was avoidable, and he was reassigned to a shore-based post in Norfolk, Virginia.
and dispatched to the Indian Ocean
to help support operations in Somalia
.
's Trafalgar-class submarine
, were killed in an explosion caused by air-purification equipment in the forward section of the submarine. The submarine was in service in the Arctic Ocean
and had to make an emergency surface through the pack ice. A third crewmember who suffered "non life-threatening" injuries was airlifted to a military hospital at Elmendorf Air Force Base
near Anchorage, Alaska
. According to the Royal Navy, the accident did not affect the ship's nuclear reactor, and the ship sustained only superficial damage.
's Swiftsure-class submarine
, hit an underwater rock pinnacle in the northern Red Sea, 80 miles (128.7 km) south of Suez, causing damage to sonar equipment.
s, the Royal Navy
's HMS Vanguard (S28)
and the French Navy
's Triomphant (S616), were involved in a collision in February 2009. They were operating in the Atlantic Ocean
at the time. No injuries or radiation leaks were reported.
ran aground on a sand bank off the coast of the Isle of Skye in Scotland
.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s: nine American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
submarines, five Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n, four British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, one Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, one Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, one Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n, and one French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Kursk explosion
In August 2000, the Russian Oscar II classOscar class submarine
The Project 949 and Project 949A Soviet Navy/Russian Navy cruise missile submarines ....
submarine (which was the world's largest class of cruise-missile submarine) Kursk sank in the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
when a leak of hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
in the forward torpedo room led to the detonation of a torpedo warhead, which in turn triggered the explosion of around half a dozen other warheads about two minutes later. This second explosion was equivalent to about 3-7 tons of TNT and was large enough to register on seismographs across Northern Europe. The explosion and the flooding by high pressure seawater killed the majority of the submarine's 118 sailors. Twenty-three survived in the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
of the submarine, but despite an international rescue effort, they died several days later either from a flash fire or suffocation
Suffocation
Suffocation is the process of Asphyxia.Suffocation may also refer to:* Suffocation , an American death metal band* "Suffocation", a song on Morbid Angel's debut album, Altars of Madness...
due to a lack of oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
. The Russian Navy was severely criticized in its home country by family members of the deceased crew for failure to accept international help in a timely manner.
Ehime Maru and USS Greeneville collision
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese aboard, including four students, 10 miles (16.1 km) off the coast of O'ahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. The collision occurred while members of the public were on board the submarine observing an emergency surface drill.
A naval inquiry found that the accident was the result of poorly executed sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
sweeps, an ineffective periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
search by the submarine's captain, Commander Scott Waddle, bad communication among the crew and distractions caused by the presence of the 16 civilian guests aboard the submarine.
The Navy and the command of the Greeneville have been criticized for making no attempt to help the Japanese on the Ehime Maru that survived the initial collision.
USS Dolphin major flooding and fire
In May 2002, the U.S. Navy research submarine experienced severe flooding and fires off the coast of San Diego, California. The ship was abandoned by the crew and Navy civilian personnel, who were rescued by nearby naval vessels. No one was seriously injured. Although severely damaged, the boat was towed back to San Diego for overhaul.USS Oklahoma City collides with tanker
On 13 November 2002, the USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723)USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723)
USS Oklahoma City , a , is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 13 August 1981 and her keel was laid down on 4 January 1984. She was...
collided with the Leif Hoegh liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
tanker
LNG carrier
An LNG carrier is a tank ship designed for transporting liquefied natural gas . As the LNG market grows rapidly, the fleet of LNG carriers continues to experience tremendous growth.-History:...
Norman Lady, east of the Strait of Gibraltar. No one on either vessel was hurt, and there were no leaks of oil from fuel tanks and no threat to the environment, but the submarine sustained damage to her periscope and sail area, and put into La Maddalena, Sardinia, for repairs. Her commanding officer, Commander Richard Voter, was relieved of his command on 30 November. One other officer and two enlisted crew members also were disciplined for dereliction of duty.
HMS Trafalgar
In November 2002, the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Trafalgar-class submarine
Trafalgar class submarine
The Trafalgar class is a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy. They are a direct follow on from the Swiftsure class and were, until the introduction of the Astute class, the Royal Navy's most advanced nuclear fleet submarines.Seven boats were built and...
, ran aground close to Skye, causing £5 million worth of damage to her hull and injuring three sailors. It was travelling 50 metres below the surface at more than 14 knots (27.4 km/h) when Lieutenant-Commander Tim Green, a student in the The Perisher
Submarine Command Course
The Submarine Command Course , previously known as the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course , and informally known as the Perisher because of its low success rate, is a training course for naval officers preparing to take command of a submarine.Created by the Royal Navy during World War I, the...
course for new submarine commanders, ordered a course change that took her onto the rocks at Fladda Chuain, a small but well-charted islet.
A report issued in May 2008, stated that tracing paper (used to protect navigational charts) had obscured vital data during a training exercise. Furthermore, the officer in charge of the training exercise had not been tracking the submarine's position using all the available equipment. Commanders Robert Fancy and Ian McGhie were court martialled
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
and reprimanded over the incident.
HMAS Dechaineux flooding
On 12 February 2003, , a Collins classCollins class submarine
The Collins class is a class of six Australian-built diesel-electric submarines operated by the Royal Australian Navy . The Collins class takes its name from Australian Vice Admiral John Augustine Collins; all six submarines are named after significant RAN personnel who distinguished themselves in...
submarine of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN) was operating near her maximum safe diving depth off the coast of Western Australia when a seawater hose burst. The high-pressure seawater flooded the lower engine room before the hose was sealed off: it was estimated that if the inflow had continued for another twenty seconds, the weight of the water would have prevented Dechaineux from returning to the surface. The RAN recalled the Collins class submarines to the naval base HMAS Stirling after the incident, and after engineers were unable to determine any flaws in the pipes that could have caused the incident, instructed that the maximum safe depth of the class be reduced.
Ming 361 sinking
In May 2003, China announced that the entire ship's crew (70 people) had been killed aboard Ming class submarine 361Chinese submarine 361
The submarine hull number No. 361 with name Great Wall # 61 is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Type-035AIP conventional diesel/electric submarine. It was reported to have suffered an accident killing all on board in 2003 while at the Bo Hai Sea between North Korea and eastern Shandong...
due to a mechanical malfunction. The accident took place off the coast of Liaoning province in northeast China. The vessel was recovered and towed to an unidentified port. The cause of the accident is not known, but it is believed that the crew suffocated due to malfunctioning diesel engines, which consumed all the oxygen present in the interior of the submarine.
K-159 sinking
In August 2003, the Russian November class submarineNovember class submarine
The Project 627 class submarine was the Soviet Union's first class of nuclear-powered submarines. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization used the standard radio communication phonetic alphabet to denote submarine classes...
K-159 sank in the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
. The submarine had been decommissioned, and was in the process of being towed for scrapping. Of the skeleton crew
Skeleton crew
A skeleton crew is the minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item at its most simple operating requirements, such as a ship or business, during an emergency and, at the same time, to keep vital functions operating.- Uses :...
of ten aboard the submarine, nine perished.
USS Hartford grounding
On 25 October 2003, the Los Angeles classLos Angeles class submarine
The Los Angeles class, sometimes called the LA class or the 688 class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet. With 43 submarines on active duty and 19 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear powered...
submarine ran aground in the harbor of La Maddalena
La Maddalena
La Maddalena is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy.-The town:...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
causing approximately US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
9 million worth of damage to the submarine.
HMCS Chicoutimi fire
On October 5, 2004, the CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
submarine suffered two fires after leaving Faslane
HMNB Clyde
Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...
for Halifax. One crewmember, Navy Lieutenant Chris Saunders, died the following day while being transported to Ireland via helicopter. Investigations concluded that poor insulating of power cables caused the fires.
The Board of Enquiry found that the fire was caused by a series of events that led to electric arcing at cable joints because of sea water penetrating the joints.
USS San Francisco collision with undersea terrain
On January 8, 2005, the Los Angeles classLos Angeles class submarine
The Los Angeles class, sometimes called the LA class or the 688 class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet. With 43 submarines on active duty and 19 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear powered...
submarine, while underway, submerged, collided with an undersea mountain 350 miles (563.3 km) south of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Machinist Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died of injuries suffered in the accident, which occurred when the submarine was on a high-speed run to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Around 60 other sailors were also injured in the accident, some seriously. The collision was so serious that the vessel was almost lost - accounts detail a desperate struggle for positive buoyancy after the forward ballast tanks were ruptured. Several news websites stated that the submarine hit an 'Uncharted Sea Mount' at speed. The boat's skipper, CDR Kevin Mooney, was later relieved of command after an investigation revealed that the ship was using inadequate voyage planning techniques. The submarine experienced a rapid deceleration from greater than 25 knots (49 km/h), causing everything not attached to the submarine to go flying forward and a section of the bow to cave in. Temporary repairs were completed, and the submarine transited to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The ship's bow section has been replaced with that of a retired sister ship, the .
AS-28 emergency
On 5 August 2005 the Russian Priz classPriz class
The Priz class is a type of Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle operated by the government of Russia. There are known to be at least five vessels of the class, several of which were involved in the failed rescue attempt when the Kursk sank on 12 August 2000...
AS-28
AS-28
AS-28 is a of the Russian Navy, which entered service in 1986. It was designed for submarine rescue operations by the Lazurit design bureau in Nizhny Novgorod...
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
A Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle is a type of Deep Submergence Vehicle used for rescue of downed submarines and clandestine missions. While DSRV is the term most often used by the United States Navy other nations have different designations for their vehicles.- Chinese models :The People's...
while operating off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
became entangled in a fishing net, or possibly by cables belonging to an underwater antenna assembly, at a depth of 190 meters (600 ft). Unable to free itself, the submarine was stuck with a depleting airsupply.
After a multi-national effort - a Royal Navy team using a Scorpio ROV
Scorpio ROV
The Scorpio [Submersible Craft for Ocean Repair, Position, Inspection and Observation] is a brand of underwater submersible Remotely Operated Vehicle manufactured by Perry Tritech used by subsea industries such as the oil industry for general operations, and also by the United States Navy and...
was able to free the submarine from the entanglement, allowing it to return to the surface. All seven crew members were rescued safely.
USS Philadelphia collides with the MV Yasa Aysen
On 5 September 2005 was in the Persian GulfPersian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
about 30 nautical miles (55.6 km) northeast of Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
when it collided with a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
merchant ship, MV Yasa Aysen. No injuries were reported on either vessel. Damage to the submarine was described as "superficial." The Turkish ship suffered minor damage to its hull just above the water line, which the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
inspected and found still seaworthy. The Philadelphia's Commanding Officer, CDR Steven M. Oxholm, was relieved following the incident.
St. Daniel of Moscow fire
On September 6, 2006 the Russian Victor-3 class submarineVictor class submarine
The Victor class is the NATO reporting name for a type of nuclear-powered submarine that was originally put into service by the Soviet Union around 1967. In the USSR, they were produced as Project 671. Victor-class subs featured a teardrop shape, which allowed them to travel at high speed...
St. Daniel of Moscow suffered a fire which resulted in the deaths of two crewmen (a warrant officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
and a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
). At the time of the incident the submarine was anchored off the Rybachiy peninsula, on Russia's north coast near the border with Norway. The fire was extinguished with no damage to the reactor (which had been scram
Scram
A scram or SCRAM is an emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor – though the term has been extended to cover shutdowns of other complex operations, such as server farms and even large model railroads...
med as a precaution) and the submarine was towed to a base at Vidyayevo
Vidyayevo
Vidyaevo is a closed rural inhabited locality in Kolsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Despite having a rural status, it is municipally incorporated as Vidyayevo Urban Okrug, as such status is the only one allowed by the federal law for the closed inhabited localities. Population: 6,307 .It...
. The incident was reported as being caused by an electrical fire in the vessel's wiring.
The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul incident
Four crew members were washed overboard from the by heavy waves on 29 December 2006 in Plymouth SoundPlymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a bay at Plymouth in England.Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point on Devon, a distance of about 3 nautical miles . Its northern limit is Plymouth Hoe giving a north-south distance of nearly 3 nautical miles...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. This resulted in the deaths of Senior Chief Thomas Higgins (Chief of the boat
Chief of the boat
Chief of the Boat is an enlisted sailor on board a U.S. Navy submarine or Cyclone Class Coastal Patrol Ships, who serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the commanding officer and executive officer, and assists with matters regarding the good order and discipline of the crew. The Chief of the...
) and Sonar Technician 2nd Class Michael Holtz. After the preliminary investigation, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Edwin Ruff received a punitive letter of reprimand
Letter of reprimand
A letter of reprimand is a United States Department of Defense procedure involving a letter to an employee or soldier from his or her superior that details the wrongful actions of the person and the punishment that can be expected...
, stating that the accident was avoidable, and he was reassigned to a shore-based post in Norfolk, Virginia.
USS Newport News collides with Japanese tanker Mogamigawa
On January 8, 2007, was transiting submerged (not surfacing) in the Straits of Hormuz when it hit the Japanese tanker Mogamigawa. It had been operating as part of Carrier Strike Group 8 (CSG-8), organized around the aircraft carrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
and dispatched to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to help support operations in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
HMS Tireless
On March 21, 2007 two crew members of the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Trafalgar-class submarine
Trafalgar class submarine
The Trafalgar class is a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy. They are a direct follow on from the Swiftsure class and were, until the introduction of the Astute class, the Royal Navy's most advanced nuclear fleet submarines.Seven boats were built and...
, were killed in an explosion caused by air-purification equipment in the forward section of the submarine. The submarine was in service in the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
and had to make an emergency surface through the pack ice. A third crewmember who suffered "non life-threatening" injuries was airlifted to a military hospital at Elmendorf Air Force Base
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
near Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
. According to the Royal Navy, the accident did not affect the ship's nuclear reactor, and the ship sustained only superficial damage.
HMS Superb
On 26 May, 2008, the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Swiftsure-class submarine
Swiftsure class submarine
The Swiftsure class were a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy from the early 1970s until 2010....
, hit an underwater rock pinnacle in the northern Red Sea, 80 miles (128.7 km) south of Suez, causing damage to sonar equipment.
Russian K-152 Nerpa
On 8 November, 2008, at least 20 men died on board the Russian nuclear submarine K-152 Nerpa, during exercises. The submarine belongs to the Pacific Fleet.HMS Vanguard and Triomphant collision
The nuclear submarineNuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
s, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's HMS Vanguard (S28)
HMS Vanguard (S28)
The eleventh HMS Vanguard of the Royal Navy is the lead boat of her class of Trident ballistic missile-armed submarines. The submarine is based at HMNB Clyde, Faslane....
and the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
's Triomphant (S616), were involved in a collision in February 2009. They were operating in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
at the time. No injuries or radiation leaks were reported.
USSHartford and USS New Orleans collision
The collided with the on 20 March 2009 in the Strait of Hormuz.HMS Astute runs aground
On October 22, 2010, HMS AstuteHMS Astute (S119)
HMS Astute is a nuclear-powered submarine in the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class. Builders BAE Systems describe her as "the largest and most able attack submarine that the Royal Navy has operated, with a performance to rival any in the world"....
ran aground on a sand bank off the coast of the Isle of Skye in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.