US submarine 'blinded' after hitting mysterious object in the East Sea

Photo of USS Connecticut in Guam - Photo: Planet Labs

On October 30, the South China Morning Post cited satellite images showing that the sonar system at the bow of the ship was damaged and needed to be replaced.

According to images taken by Planet Labs on October 20, the sails and other parts of the ship's hull are still intact, so the nuclear reactor may still be operating normally as previously announced by the US Navy.

"It is almost certain that the USS Connecticut had a direct hit and cracked the sonar dome, the most important sensor system. That means the ship was blind and deaf underwater and was forced to immediately abort its mission," said Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Tong.

Previously, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Initiative (SCSPI) of the Institute of Ocean Research at Peking University, China, released photos taken on October 3, one day after the collision, showing the ship believed to be the USS Connecticut moving southeast of the Paracel Islands, which belong to Vietnam but are being illegally occupied by China.

According to Mr. Wong, information suggests that the collision may have occurred near the islands, where the US conducts freedom of navigation operations. The fact that the US submarine was able to stay underwater for a long time after the collision also suggests that the vessel was not seriously damaged.

Meanwhile, Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said China may have known about the US submarine's route but was unaware of the collision. According to this expert, the object that collided with the US ship was the size of an unmanned underwater vehicle, not another submarine.

In an announcement on October 10, more than a week after the incident, the US side only said that the collision injured 11 sailors. The ship's nuclear propulsion system was not affected and it could still return to Guam for inspection. To date, there has been no official update on the object the ship hit.

The crash comes amid heightened tensions between the US and China. Earlier this week, China criticised the US for making “irresponsible comments” after the US condemned China for sending military aircraft into an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) declared by Taiwan.

According to CNN, the USS Connecticut has been operating in the waters around the South China Sea as the US and its allies conduct a multinational show of force in the region, called "Carrier Strike Group 21." This ongoing exercise involves ships from the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, including three aircraft carriers.

According to Tuoi Tre