Since October 2, 2021, the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine, has been having bad luck with intricate maintenance activities stemming from when it crashed into an underwater mountain in the South China Sea. This incident has brought to the forefront not only the precarious nature of submarine operations in crowded waters but also deeper issues within the U.S. Navy related to fleet maintenance and operational readiness.
The collision cut the bow and sonar dome off the USS Connecticut, resulting in the submarine limping to Guam for initial assessments and temporary repairs. Despite the damages, it limped its way to San Diego, California, en route to Puget Sound, Washington, for more extensive repairs. Scant details emerged to describe the incident, as officials at the U.S. Navy’s Public Affairs Office would remain tight-lipped over the matter due to the sensitivity of submarine operations.
The USS Connecticut was placed in dry dock on 12 July 2023, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, for a scheduled Extended Dry-Docking Selected Restricted Availability. According to a spokesperson with NAVSEA, this is a major maintenance period all submarines go through during their life cycle. Repairs from the October 2021 damage are being finished during the time the vessel is in the dry dock; the propulsion plant has not been affected. Preliminary estimates are at around $80 million for the repair work, with the potential to see the submarine return to service by early 2026.
The USS Connecticut was already far behind schedule in its planned maintenance before the collision. It had been scheduled to undergo a Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability in August 2021 but was delayed to at least October 2022. This exposed it to a deployment to the South China Sea where it suffered the accident. The call to delay the maintenance has begged the question whether it contributed to the mishap.
An investigation into the collision revealed lax oversight and poor planning. Former commanding officer Cmdr. Cameron Aljilani, along with other senior officers, was found to have fallen short of adhering to proper navigational procedures. The report blamed an accumulation of mistakes in navigation planning, watch team execution, and risk management. Aljilani, along with other key officers, had to be relieved of position and was issued letters of reprimand.
The USS Connecticut incident is definitely not one-off. There have been a number of mishaps involving the U.S. Navy in the past, such as the collisions of destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain in 2017. So far, in the investigation, problems at the leadership and training levels, along with poor maintenance—all exacerbated by the quick operational tempo of America’s Pacific Fleet—have been expounded.
China has seized on the incident as a reason to lambaste the U.S. military presence in the South China Sea, saying it is destabilizing for the region. At the same time, the growth in congestion of underwater environments with submarines from different countries runs a high risk of similar accidents happening in the future.
From collision to repair, there goes a long path of complexity: modern challenges of maintaining and operating a modern submarine fleet are very present in the case of the USS Connecticut. As the U.S. Navy seeks to find a balance between fleet maintenance needs and operational demands, lessons learned from this incident will be necessary to avoid further mistakes and ensure that its submariners can move forward safely with continued effectiveness.