Another US mishap

[kerryd]

Yeah, it's the ones in the Gulf of Mexico that like to send homemade submarines into the open water (usually full of cocaine).
Some make it. Some get caught. I'd suspect most end up on the bottom of the ocean a few kilometers into the trip.

[KaptainRob]

This was a recent 'piracy' event, more like opportunist robbery but can easily turn nasty.  Indonesian/Malay and Singaporean patrols have helped reduce whole tanker seizures and most attempted robberies are met by well prepared crew, as below.

 

12.09.2021: 2015 UTC: Posn: 01:15.42N – 103:23.94E, Malacca Straits. Four robbers armed with knives boarded a tanker underway. Duty oiler saw the robbers trying to enter the engine room, and raised the alarm. All deck lights switched on, PA announcement made, and crew mustered. Seeing the crew alertness, the robbers escaped in their boat with two accomplices. VTIS informed. A search was made throughout the tanker. Nothing reported stolen.

 

[vlad]

I used to work at BAE Submarine Systems where i live in the uk we build all our Nuclear Submarines and i can assure you a good Sonar operator will quickly identify an object man made or marine creature. Sounds to me the Sonar room crew were having a brew and missed the object it hit. 

[Hamosity]

Interesting comments from all with the technical knowledge and salty experience to contribute. 

I’m just here for the schadenfreude. Slim pickings at this point in time.  

[Fester]

On 10/9/2021 at 8:06 AM, KaptainRob said:

I'm not getting into an argument James, however radar systems did not advance much until integration with AIS and that was a gamechanger, mid 2000's, for all large vessels,

I'd been delivering vessels all round the Australian coast, new powerboats mainly, since mid 80's and most were fitted with what was then state-of-the-art equipment.  Radar range was never an issue but identification of distant targets was very difficult, especially in rough seas, until AIS painted the data on-screen ... my last 2008 command had twin (redundancy) Furuno radar/plotters with AIS and it made navigation a breeze especially on long night-time ocean passages around PNG and Indonesia where commercial and naval traffic is heavy.

I don't think that the US Navy will be too keen on being identified while on exercises, so AIS is not critical for them. 

[KaptainRob]

20 minutes ago, Fester said:

I don't think that the US Navy will be too keen on being identified while on exercises, so AIS is not critical for them. 

Oh they have it alright, just didn't like activating it when on patrol.   That changed after a string of collisions and they now use it in major shipping areas unless on a specific mission.

[mickkotlarski]

On 10/8/2021 at 11:32 AM, gummy said:

Just read this on the BBC

South China Sea: US submarine collides with 'unknown object' - BBC News

Just wondering if they could have possibly have hit a lighthouse ? 

Maybe the US Navy is trying to laugh the Chinese military to death. Honestly this is embarrassing.

[Fester]

17 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Oh they have it alright, just didn't like activating it when on patrol.   That changed after a string of collisions and they now use it in major shipping areas unless on a specific mission.

They also have radar(s) far superior to commercial systems. Nothing has changed much as far as what navies do - they use what they want, when they want to.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Fester