After Two Accidents, Navy Orders Subs to Stand Down
The Navy has ordered an operational stand-down for all submarines following two recent accidents, charging commanders to “focus energy and intellect back onto the basics of submarine operations,” according to the Submarine Force’s leader. Vice Adm. Chuck Munns, U.S. Submarine Force commander, lamented that the two incidents — one which resulted in the death of two sailors — happened under standard operations. Normal operations will continue while commanders review recently completed operations and future planned evolutions, and evaluate areas of risk and risk mitigation, a statement said. They have a week to do it — reviews are due Jan. 19. The two incidents that sparked Thursday’s order involved four sailors swept from the top of the submarine USS Minneapolis-St.
Navy: Tanker Pulled up Sub
According to reports, the Navy calls attributed the venturi effect. Navy officials have released preliminary findings into Monday's collision between a Norfolk-based submarine and a Japanese oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. The Navy says the sub Newport News was submerged and heading into the Arabian Sea when the mammoth oil tanker passed overhead at a high speed, creating a sucking effect that made the sub rise and hit the ship. The Navy says no one was injured aboard either ship, and damage to both vessels is relatively minor. The Newport News left Norfolk along with the aircraft carrier Eisenhower strike group in October for a six-month deployment to the Middle East.
