Top officers of a Navy nuclear sub have lost their jobs over an undersea collision : NPR
Thiep Van Nguyen II/U.S. Navy through AP
WASHINGTON — The Navy mentioned Thursday it fired the 2 senior officers of a nuclear-powered assault submarine that was damaged in an underwater collision final month within the South China Sea. A sailor who served as a senior enlisted adviser to the commander and the manager officer was additionally faraway from his place
The actions had been taken by Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of the U.S. seventh Fleet, based mostly in Japan.
“Thomas decided sound judgement, prudent decision-making and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch crew execution and threat administration may have prevented the incident,” in keeping with a seventh Fleet assertion.
In consequence, the assertion mentioned Thomas relieved Cmdr. Cameron Aljilani as commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Cashin as govt officer, and Grasp Chief Sonar Technician Cory Rodgers as chief of the boat, “as a result of lack of confidence.” The chief of the boat is the senior enlisted adviser to the commander and the manager officer.
The Navy has but to publicly clarify how or why the usConnecticut, a Seawolf-class submarine, struck a seamount, or underwater mountain, or to disclose the extent of harm to the vessel.
The Navy has mentioned the submarine’s nuclear reactor and propulsion system weren’t broken. The collision brought about a small variety of reasonable and minor accidents to the crew. USNI Information, which was first to report that the sub had struck a seamount, mentioned injury to the ahead part of the submarine broken its ballast tanks.
The incident occurred on Oct. 2 however was not reported by the Navy till 5 days later, properly after it had exited the South China Sea. The vessel made its strategy to Guam for a injury evaluation, the place it stays.
The seventh Fleet Assertion on Thursday additionally mentioned the sub will return at an unspecified time to Bremerton, Washington for repairs.