The US Navy has released photos of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22), which was badly damaged due to a collision with an unknown object in the South China Sea

The US Navy is conducting repairs to the nuclear-powered submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22). The service recently released photos of the Seawolf-class submarine, which suffered severe damage in autumn 2021.

Here's What We Know

USS Connecticut (SSN-22) is an American Seawolf-class submarine and the fifth vessel named after the state of Connecticut, where it was built. The submarine is equipped with a 45,000 horsepower S6W type nuclear reactor. It can carry up to 50 Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles launched from torpedo tubes.

On 2 October 2021, USS Connecticut (SSN-22) collided with an unknown object while on patrol in the South China Sea. The incident resulted in approximately a dozen crew members suffering varying degrees of injury, and three officers lost their jobs due to loss of confidence. Among them was the submarine's commanding officer.

On 21 December of that year, USS Connecticut (SSN-22) was able to cross the Pacific and return to Washington, making stops at Guam and San Diego. However, the submarine made the entire trip in a surface position. The dive was prohibited due to a malfunctioning hydroacoustic station.

The U.S. Congress authorised spending $40 million on emergency repairs and $10 million on the forward dome. In 2022, the USS Connecticut (SSN-22) underwent a thorough damage assessment at the Puget Sound shipyard. A collision with an unknown object was found to have caused damage to the submarine's rudder.

One of the challenges in overhauling the bow, sonar and other structural components is that the Seawolf class submarines have long since been discontinued. Moreover, apart from USS Connecticut (SSN-22), only two submarines of this type have been built: USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) and USS Seawolf (SSN-21). And the first one is a modified version for secret missions.

Usually, sections of old submarines of the same class that have been decommissioned are used for repairs. For example, Naval Group recently repaired the French submarine Perle in this way. In the case of the USS Connecticut (SSN-22), this method is not suitable.

In 2022, the US Navy has confirmed that the damaged submarine will be repaired and returned to service. This is very important in light of recent information that more than 30 per cent of US attack submarines are out of service. It is estimated that the USS Connecticut (SSN-22) repairs will last 31 months.

Source: DVIDS