The United States Navy is a very storied institution, full of highs and lows. This heritage can be read through the experiences of the USS San Juan, SSN-751, and the recent collision between USS Denver and USNS Yukon.
USS San Juan: A Legacy of Innovation and Challenges
The USS San Juan (SSN-751) is a Los Angeles-class submarine representative of some of the very finest in naval engineering and operational prowess. The keel of the submarine was laid down on 9 August 1985 at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation, Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 6 December 1986 and commissioned on 6 August 1988, with CDR Charles Young in command. Configured with the first major design improvements of the class, she also became the prototype for the 688I (Improved 688) variant.
Upgrades included a quieter operating profile, an advanced AN/BSY-1 sonar suite combat system, and mine-laying capability via torpedo tubes. Additionally, the submarine’s sail was strengthened to permit it to break through ice. In 1993, San Juan became the first 688I class submarine to make a through-ice surfacing in the Arctic.
The journey of the San Juan has not been incident-free. On 19 March 1998, submerged San Juan collided with the surface fleet ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky off Long Island, New York. There were no reports of any injuries. On 13 March 2007, while deployed with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, a red flare sighting initiated a search and rescue operation; communications were re-established the following day, and nothing was reported amiss.
The San Juan also made history in the realm of foreign naval cooperation when it visited Simon’s Town, South Africa, on November 4, 2009, to conduct at-sea operations with the South African Navy, the first time this had been done in U.S. history. Moreover, an engineered overhaul was conducted for the submarine at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine from April 8, 2010, to August 4, 2011. The boat received maintenance and system upgrades.
Collision at Sea: USS Denver and USNS Yukon
In a separate incident, USS Denver, LPD-9, and USNS Yukon, T-AO 202, collided 180 miles west of Oahu Thursday night. According to Lt. Flex Plexico of the Pacific Fleet, the captains of both vessels were on the bridge and were preparing for a complex refueling and replenishing operation when the ships collided. This incident is believed to be the first collision between two naval vessels in Hawaiian waters in at least a decade.
The USS Denver, a 570-foot troop transport ship commissioned in 1968, sustained a huge 20-by-25-foot triangular gash in its bow above the waterline. Damage was reminiscent of that caused by a giant can opener; the ship limped slowly into Pearl Harbor with its crew manning the rails in Navy whites. Also involved in the collision was the 677-foot oiler USNS Yukon. Both vessels will be berthed at the shipyard for damage assessment.
Plexico said that normally, the oiler travels at 12 knots while the ship being refueled matches its course and speed to maintain a distance of 100 to 150 feet during refueling. No one was injured, nor were there any leaks reported in this incident.
While an investigation into the causes of these incidents is currently underway, such situations bring out the strength and flexibility of the U.S. Navy, laying out all the intricacies and challenges that characterize naval operations.