USS Connecticut nuclear submarine damaged in South China Sea collision with unknown “object”

Washington – A US nuclear submarine sustained damage and some crew members were injured when it “hit an object” while operating at depth a week ago in one of the bodies of water most sensitive on the planet, the South China Wed. The US Navy confirmed in a statement Thursday that the USS Connecticut, a nuclear rapid attack submarine, struck the unidentified object on October 2, “while operating in international waters of the Indo-Pacific region “.

U.S. defense officials told CBS News correspondent David Martin that the collision occurred in the South China Sea, one of two adjacent bodies of water where the United States and its allies have repeatedly contested China’s land claims. China on Friday asked for more information on the U.S. Navy crash that happened somewhere off its east coast.

U.S. officials told Martin on Thursday that Connecticut had returned to the surface on its own and was due to arrive in Guam soon so the damage could be fully assessed. Officials told CBS News that two crew members suffered “moderate” injuries and several other minor bumps and bruises. All were treated by a member of the Marine Corps on board the ship, and no one was removed from the submarine.

The submarine itself, one of nearly 70 in the US Navy’s nuclear-powered fleet, “remains in a safe and stable condition,” the Navy statement said. Its nuclear propulsion system and related areas “have not been affected and remain fully operational”.

Chinese newspaper Global Times reported that the Foreign Ministry had expressed “serious concerns” about the incident, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian as urging the United States to “provide information. details, the purpose of the cruise and whether it caused a nuclear leak or damaged the Navy. environment. “

All of the attack submarine’s weapon systems were also not damaged, U.S. officials told Martin.

“The extent of the damage to the rest of the submarine is being assessed,” the Navy said in its statement, adding that the incident would be investigated.

As reported by CBS News Asia correspondent Ramy Inocencio, the incident came to light amid high tensions between Beijing and Washington, just weeks after the United States and Britain signed. a deal to supply nuclear-powered submarines to the Australian military, and just days after China sent a record number of military planes into the airspace of US ally Taiwan, prompting concerns in Taipei that Beijing “is going to start a war”.

China regularly issues protests and condemns US ships’ “freedom of navigation” missions near islands, reefs and other South China Sea sites claimed by Beijing.

A few years ago the United States condemned China for the installation of weapon systems on a artificial reef in the South China Sea. This body of water and the East China Sea just to the north are the scene of a myriad of territorial disputes between Beijing, other Asian nations and the West. The United States considers most of the international waters of the South and East China Seas, but China claims dominance over much of the region.

In recent years, the United States and its allies have increased their movements in both seas, generally drawing rebuke from China. The United States and Beijing accuse each other of “unsafe” or “unprofessional” military maneuvers in the region.

The last time a US Navy submarine was known to have had a serious collision was in 2005, when the USS San Francisco collided with submarine mountain at full speed. This accident left one dead and most of the crew injured. The captain and several other senior officers were relieved of their duties as they were found to be using outdated seabed maps, despite having up-to-date maps.

The incident took place near the U.S. territory of Guam, thousands of kilometers east of the controversial waters off the Chinese coast.