INTRODUCTION

This Article is a product of the research work conducted by the author to highlight the list and circumstances behind various events of submarine losses that happened during peacetime from CY2000 to CY2017. During this period, it is noted that submarine disasters and accidents occurred to navies of countries that are considered to have seapower and long experience over several decades and centuries on the operation of submarine warfare capabilities. These countries would have almost perfected their submarine doctrines, crew proficiency training, sustainment and maintenance, operation, etc. with almost a complete support system in submarine naval sea systems. Yet, they suffered the unimaginable disaster, loss of life, and very expensive defense equipment due to accidents at sea as well as in the drydocking facilities while the submarine is undergoing repair of essential routine maintenance and systems preservation.

In the last 17 years, there have been about 22 submarine disasters and accidents, which in sum is illustratrative proof of a history of repeated failures resulting from accidents. How much more during wartime situation? Submarine sea system failures could be attributed to poor submarine system design, lack of continuous crew proficiency training, outdated doctrine, safety procedures not being followed, and the crew becoming callous about safety and thus take it for granted. It is alarming that submarine operation and maintenance records of various navies with long operators of submarine operation show they have not improved much after all these years.

FOR A NAVY VENTURING ON SUBMARINE WARFARE CAPABILITY FOR THE FIRST TIME

For a navy venturing into submarine warfare capability with a severe lack of funds coupled with government budget cuts on defense spending, it must consider this a warning of an eminent submarine disaster just waiting to happen. Disaster happens in peacetime, how much more during wartime and conflict? The series of unchecked accidents in submarine operation can instill fear and demoralization to the crew who are dedicated to offer their service for the country. A life lost to an accident at peacetime is very demoralizing and difficult for the crew to comprehend.

FACTS ABOUT RECENT SUBMARINE INCIDENTS

2000 – Kursk explosion In August 2000, the Russian Oscar II-class submarine (which was the world’s largest class of cruise-missile submarines) sank in the Barents Sea when a leak of hydrogen peroxide in the forward torpedo room led to the detonation of a torpedo warhead, which in turn triggered the explosion of around half a dozen other warheads about two minutes later. The explosion and the flooding by high pressure seawater killed the majority of the Kursk submarine’s 118 sailors. Twenty-three survived in the stern of the submarine, but despite an international rescue effort, they died several days later either from a flash fire or suffocation due to lack of oxygen.

2001 – Ehime Maru and USS Greeneville collision On 9-February-2001, the American submarine USS Greenville accidentally struck and sank a Japanese high-school fisheries training ship, Ehime-Maru, killing nine of the 35 Japanese aboard, including four students, 10 miles (16 km) off the coast of Oahu. The collision occurred while members of the public were on board the submarine observing an emergency surface drill.
A naval inquiry found that the accident was the result of poorly executed sonar sweeps, an ineffective periscope search by the submarine’s captain, Commander Scott Waddle, bad communication among the crew, and distractions caused by the presence of the 16 civilian guests aboard the submarine.

2002 – USS Dolphin major flooding and fire In May 2002, the U.S. Navy research submarine USS Dolphin experienced severe flooding and fires off the coast of San Diego, California. The crew, as well as the Navy civilian personnel who were rescued by nearby naval vessels, abandoned the ship. No one was seriously injured. Although severely damaged, the boat was towed back to San Diego for overhaul.

2002 – USS Oklahoma City collision with tanker Norman Lady On 13-November-2002, USS Oklahoma City collided with the Leif Hoegh liquefied natural gas tanker Norman Lady, east of the Strait of Gibraltar. No one on either vessel was hurt, and there were no leaks of oil from fuel tanks and no threat to the environment, but the submarine sustained damage to her periscope and sail area, and put into La Maddalena, Sardinia, for repairs. Her commanding officer, Commander Richard Voter, was relieved of his command on 30-November-2002. One other officer and two enlisted crewmembers were also disciplined for dereliction of duty.

2002 – HMS Trafalgar In November 2002, the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar-class submarine, HMS Trafalgar ran aground close to Skye, causing £5 million worth of damage to her hull and injuring three sailors. It was travelling 50 meters (160 ft) below the surface at more than 14 knots (26 km/h) when Lieutenant-Commander Tim Green, a student in The Perisher course for new submarine commanders, ordered a course change that took her onto the rocks at Fladda-chùain, a small but well-charted islet. A report issued in May 2008, stated that tracing paper (used to protect navigational charts) had obscured vital data during a training exercise. Furthermore, the officer in charge of the training exercise had not been tracking the submarine’s position using all the available equipment. Commanders Robert Fancy and Ian McGhie were court martialled and reprimanded for the incident.

2003 – HMAS Dechaineux flooding On 12-February-2003, HMAS Dechaineux, a Collins-class submarine of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was operating near her maximum safe diving depth off the coast of Western Australia when a seawater pipe burst. The high-pressure seawater flooded the lower engine room before the hose was sealed off. It was estimated that if the inflow had continued for another twenty seconds, the weight of the water would have prevented Dechaineux from returning to the surface. The Navy recalled all of the Collins-class submarines to the submarine base HMAS Stirling after this potentially catastrophic event, and after naval engineers were unable to find any flaws in the pipes that could have caused the burst, they commanded that the maximum safe depth of these submarines be reduced.

2003 – Ming 361 accident In May 2003, China announced that the entire ship’s crew (70 people) was killed aboard the Ming-class submarine 361 due to a mechanical malfunction. The accident took place off the coast of Liaoning province in northeast China. The vessel was recovered and towed to an unidentified port. The cause of the accident was identified. When the battery was low the submarine surfaced with a vent opening for oxygen, which was consumed heavily by the charging diesel engines. At this point in time, a sea wave surged, and seawater started to gulf into the opening vent that automatically closed to prevent flooding. There was no single device on the submarine to detect low oxygen level and the crew suffocated due the diesel engines consuming all the oxygen present within the submarine. The floating submarine was found by fishermen and the navy did not even know one of their submarines was lost. They almost claimed it was a foreign submarine. Finally, all the navy commanders and fleet commanders were relieved from their duties because of the accident.

2003 – K-159 sinking In August 2003, the Russian November-class submarine K-159 sank in the Barents Sea. This submarine had been decommissioned, and she was being towed away for scrapping. Of her skeleton crew of ten sailors, nine were killed.

2003 – USS Hartford grounding On 25-October-2003, the American Los Angeles-class submarine USS Hartford ran aground in the harbor of La Maddalena, Sardinia, in the Mediterranean Sea. This grounding caused about $9 million dollars worth of damage to Hartford.

2004 – Bugaled Breizh sinking On 15-January-2004, the fishing trawler Bugaled Breizh sank with all hands for unknown reasons. One of the possible scenarios is that an unidentified submarine got caught in its net during a NATO exercise.

2004 – HMCS Chicoutimi fire On 5-October-2004, the Canadian submarine HMCS Chicoutimi suffered from two fires after leaving Faslane Harbor for Halifax Harbor. One officer, Canadian Forces Navy Lieutenant Chris Saunders, died the following day while he was being flown via helicopter to a hospital in Ireland. Canadian Forces investigators concluded that poor insulation of some power cables caused the fires. The following board of enquiry found that the fire was caused by a series of events that caused electrical arcing at cable joints due to seawater penetration at the joints.

2005 – USS San Francisco collision with undersea terrain On 8-January-2005, the Los Angeles-class submarine USS San Francisco, while underway and submerged, collided with an undersea seamount about 350 miles (560 km) south of Guam in the Marianas Islands. One of her sailors, Machinist mate 2nd Class (MM2(SS)) Joseph Allen Ashley of Akron, Ohio died from the injuries he suffered in the collision. This happened while San Francisco was on a high-speed voyage to visit Brisbane, Australia.

An additional 97 more of her sailors were also injured in this accident, including two with dislocated shoulders. The collision with the seamount was so severe that San Francisco was nearly sunk. Accounts from the scene related a desperate struggle for positive buoyancy after her forward ballast tanks had been ruptured. Several news web sites stated that the boat had hit an “uncharted sea mount” at a high sped. The captain of the submarine, Commander Kevin Mooney, was later relieved of his command after an investigation revealed that he had been using inadequate methods of ocean voyage planning.

2005 – AS-28 emergency On 5-Augut-2005, the Russian Priz-class deep-submergence rescue vehicle AS-28, while operating off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, became entangled in a fishing net, or possibly by cables belonging to an underwater antenna assembly, at a depth of 190 meters (600 ft). Unable to free itself, the submarine was stuck with a depleting air supply.

After a multi-national effort, a Royal Navy team using a Scorpio ROV was able to free the submarine from the entanglement, allowing it to return to the surface. All seven crewmembers were rescued safely.

2005 – USS Philadelphia collision with MV Yasa Aysen On 5-September-2005, USS Philadelphia was in the Persian Gulf about 30 nautical miles (60 km) northeast of Bahrain when she collided with the Turkish merchant ship MV Yasa Aysen. No injuries were reported on either vessel. The damage to the submarine was described as “superficial.” The Turkish ship suffered minor damage to its hull just above her waterline, but the United States Coast Guard inspected the ship and found her to be still seaworthy. The commanding officer of Philadelphia, Commander Steve M. Oxholm, was relieved of his command following this collision.

2006 – Daniil Moskovsky fire On 6-September-2006, the Russian Victor III-class submarine Daniil Moskovsky suffered a fire, which resulted in the deaths of two crewmen (a warrant officer and a sailor). At the time of the incident, the submarine was anchored off the Rybachiy peninsula, on Russia’s north coast near the border with Norway. The fire was extinguished with no damage to the reactor (which had been scrammed as a precaution) and the submarine was towed to a base at Vidyayevo. The incident was reported as being caused by an electrical fire in the vessel’s wiring.

2006 – USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul incident Four crewmembers were washed overboard from USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul by heavy waves on 29-December-2006 in Plymouth Sound, England. This resulted in the deaths of Senior Chief Thomas Higgins (chief of the boat) and Sonar Technician 2nd Class Michael Holtz. After the preliminary investigation, Commander Edwin Ruff received a punitive letter of reprimand, stating that the accident was avoidable, and was reassigned to a shore-based post in Norfolk, Virginia.

2007 – USS Newport News collision with tanker Mogamigawa On 8-January-2007, USS Newport News was transiting submerged in the Straits of Hormuz when she hit the Japanese tanker Mogamigawa. She had been operating as part of Carrier Strike Group 8 (CSG-8), organized around the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and dispatched to the Indian Ocean to help support operations in Somalia.

HMS Tireless On 21-March-2007 two crewmembers of the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar class submarine, HMS Tireless were killed in an explosion caused by air-purification equipment in the forward section of the submarine. The submarine was in service in the Arctic Ocean and had to make an emergency surface through the pack ice. A third crewmember who suffered “non life-threatening” injuries was airlifted to a military hospital at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska. According to the Royal Navy, the accident did not affect the ship’s nuclear reactor, and the ship sustained only superficial damage.

2008 – HMS Superb On 26-May-2008, the Royal Navy’s Swiftsure-class submarine, HMS Superb hit an underwater rock pinnacle in the northern Red Sea, 80 miles (130 km) south of Suez, causing damage to sonar equipment. The submarine was decommissioned slightly earlier than planned as a result of the damage.

Russian K-152 Nerpa gas leak On 8–November-2008, at least 20 men died of asphyxiation from a gas leak aboard the Russian nuclear submarine K-152 Nerpa, during trials in the Sea of Japan. The submarine was leased to the Indian Navy in 2011 and formally commissioned into service as INS Chakra in 2012.

2009 – HMS Vanguard and Triomphant collision The nuclear submarines, the Royal Navy’s HMS Vanguard and the French Navy’s Triomphant, were involved in a collision in February 2009. They were operating in the Atlantic Ocean at the time. No injuries or radiation leaks were reported.

2009 – USS Hartford and USS New Orleans collision USS Hartford collided with USS New Orleans on 20-March-2009 in the Strait of Hormuz. In photo, USS Hartford in Bahrain a day after the collision.

2010 – INS Sindhurakshak fire In February 2010, a faulty battery valve that leaked hydrogen gas resulted in a fire, which caused an explosion in INS Sindhurakshak’s battery compartment, killing one and injuring two sailors.

2010 – INS Shankush incident On 30-August-2010, INS Shankush, a Shishumar class submarine of the Indian Navy developed technical difficulties while on a planned exercise off Mumbai. While effecting repairs, the submarine’s maintenance team was washed overboard due to rough seas. A 5-officer team and sailors led by the submarine’s Executive Officer Lt Cdr Firdaus D Moghal, successfully recovered all members of the crew.

However, the officer himself was washed overboard subsequently due to rough seas and sustained heavy injuries on his forehead. He was rescued by a helicopter dispatched from Naval Air Station INS Shikra but succumbed to injuries en route to shore.

2010 – HMS Astute grounding HMS Astute aground with the emergency tow vessel Anglian Prince. On 22-October-2010, HMS Astute ran aground on a sand bank off the coast of the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

2011 – HMCS Corner Brook grounding HMCS Corner Brook ran aground in Nootka Sound off the coast of Vancouver Island on 4-June-2011, while conducting SOCT. Minor injuries were sustained by two crewmembers and the submarine returned to CFB Esquimalt after the incident, without escort or further incident. A board of inquiry into the incident deemed commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Paul Sutherland, had responsibility for safe navigation of the submarine and was relieved of his command.

2012 – USS Miami arson On 23-May-2012, during a scheduled maintenance overhaul, USS Miami suffered extensive damage from fire, which was later determined to have been part of a series of fires started deliberately by a civilian shipyard worker who was seeking time off from work. The Navy determined it would be uneconomical to repair the submarine, and decommissioned and scrapped her instead.

2012 – USS Montpelier collision with USS San Jacinto USS Montpelier and the Aegis Florida cruiser USS San Jacinto collided off the coast of northeastern Florida on 13-October-2012 during an exercise while the submarine was submerged at periscope depth. There were no injuries aboard either ship. The initial assessment of damage was that there was a complete de-pressurization of the sonar dome aboard San Jacinto. The investigation revealed that the principal cause of the collision was human error, poor teamwork by Montpelier watch team, and the commanding officer’s failure to follow established procedures for submarines operating at periscope depth. The investigation revealed contributing factors threaded among the various command and control headquarters that provide training and operational oversight within Fleet Forces Command.

2013 – INS Sindhurakshak explosion and sinking On 14-August 2013, the Indian Navy’s INS Sindhurakshak Kilo-class Type 877EKM submarine sank after explosions caused by a fire took place on board when the submarine was berthed at Mumbai. The fire, followed by a series of ordnance blasts on the armed submarine, occurred shortly after midnight. The fire was put out within two hours. Due to damage from the explosions, the submarine sank at its berth with only a portion visible above the water surface. Sailors on board reportedly jumped off to safety. The vessel was salvaged later and bodies of 18 dead personnel were recovered.

Due to the explosion, the front section of the submarine was twisted, bent and crumpled, and water had entered the Forward compartment. And yet another submarine, INS Sindhuratna, also sustained minor damage when the fire on Sindhurakshak caused its torpedoes to explode. An enquiry into the incident found the cause of the incident to be violation of Standard Operating Procedures during torpedo loading. This resulted in the explosion of two torpedoes during the incident while the remaining 14 torpedoes disintegrated. Official sources said it was “highly unlikely” the submarine could be returned to service.

2013 – Russian K-150 Tomsk fire On 16-September-2013, fifteen seamen were hospitalized after a fire on the Oscar-class K-150 submarine. The fire started during welding activity, as the sub was being repaired at the Zvezda shipyard near Vladivostok on the Sea of Japan. The fire was put out after five hours. A federal Investigative Committee said the fire had “caused damage to the health of 15 servicemen” and they remained in hospital. It gave no details about their condition.

2013 – USS Jacksonville collision On 10-January-2013, USS Jacksonville struck an unidentified vessel in the Persian Gulf and lost one of its periscopes. The ship’s commanding and executive officers were relieved for cause following the incident.

2016 – HMS Ambush collision On 20-July-2016, while surfacing on an exercise in the Strait of Gibraltar, HMS Ambush collided with a merchant ship, sustaining significant damage to the top of her conning tower. It was reported that no crewmembers were injured during the collision and that the submarine’s nuclear reactor section remained completely undamaged.

2017 – UC3 Nautilus sinking On 11-August-2017, the privately owned midget submarine UC3 Nautilus suddenly sank.

2017 – ARA San Juan On 16-November-2017 evening, the Argentine Navy submarine, ARA San Juan, and her crew of 44 were reported missing in the San Jorge Gulf region. Ships and long-range patrol aircraft from several nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, were dispatched in a search and rescue mission. Rescue submersibles and parachute rescuers were deployed. On 30-November-2017, hopes of rescuing the crew alive were abandoned.

ORIGIN AND OCCASIONAL FAILURES OF SUBMARINE SUB SYSTEM

A submarine is constantly exposed to tremendous hydrostatic pressure that tends to compress the hull of the submarine with crushing forces at all angles of the submarine sea systems. It is operated with a combination of various units such as the hydraulics, mechanical, electronic system, etc., that needs the highest level of maintenance with zero defects. A slight failure of one part of the single system or sub system can lead to submarine disaster underwater. To avoid and prevent this problem, the navy operator of the submarine must have a complete and utterly perfect system to sustain a safe operational envelope of the submarine.

Shortage of funds and budget deficiency due to the high cost of life cycle submarine operation and maintenance can affect a navy with meager resources. Confronted with multiple problems in subsurface and air warfare capability, a navy maybe forced later on to abandon capabilities that create much problems.

NAVY ABANDON CAPABILITIES

A coastal navy with previous anti-submarine, mine warfare and SEAL team underwater delivery vehicle were abandoned because of obsolescence. Weapons, equipment, ordinance were shelved and training facilities were padlocked and decommissioned. Doctrine and training were also set aside and never discussed in school.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A navy should avoid hasty preparations in submarine warfare capabilities as a necessity for a green water navy. However, it should be “done right the first time” through a deliberate approach. Doctrines and trainings, culture of maintenance, operational safety, etc., must be at the forefront with long years of proficiency preparation to achieve the highest level of maturity.

A navy should start with an affordable training laboratory in sub surface warfare. Acquisition of shallow water midget attack submarine is a cost effective approach to develop skill since the level of risk in case of underwater accident can be managed safely because the submarine will operate in shallow waters (200 ft.). Both the Italian midget submarine (Cosmos) and the English midget submarine (Piranha Class) could be good training equipment as an introduction to undersea warfare.

Source reference:

• Business Insider, Russia launched a powerful new submarine named after ‘Vladimir the Great’ — and it’s just getting started by Ben Brimelow No. 27, 2017
• Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, List of Submarine Incidents since 2000.
• https://defencyclopedia.com/2016/07/06/explained-how-air-independent-propulsion-aip-works/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_depth_ratings
• Egypt Business Directory, Submarine Battery Industry Report to 2022 By Manufacturers, Region And Application by Paul Kaif
• https://www.marineinsight.com/naval-architecture/submarine-design-structure-of-a-submarine/
• https://defencyclopedia.com/2016/07/06/explained-how-air-independent-propulsion-aip-works/
• Ref:https://forum.sub-driver.com/forum/general-topics/1407-russian-submarine-id/page9
• Ref:http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2014/07/air-independent-propulsion-game-changer.html
• http://www.sivakrishna.com/stfaq.html
• http://fashion.stellaconstance.co/fuel-works/
• https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/eng/reactor.html
• https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/12210-indian-navy-has-submarine-problem

About the Researcher: CAPT TOMAS D BAINO PN (Ret) completed his post-graduate studies in Submarine Design at the Department of Naval Architecture, University College of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain, under the sponsorship grant of the UK Ministry of Defense. Capt Baino is an associate editor of the Maritime Review providing series of articles in Naval Ship Design, and presently serving as Naval Architect Consultant with the Philippine Department of Transportation and the Philippine Coast Guard Project Management Office in Ship Acquisition Program.