The US Navy operates the biggest nuclear submarine fleet and some of the biggest submarines in the world. It has the greatest technical expertise and probably knows more about submarines than any other navy. Incidentally the worlds first submarine was built by the Confederates during the US Civil War. Submarines are a dangerous work environment. When you are submerged there are no second chances. The area within a submarine is so densely packed that sometimes turning a screw requires unthinkable contortions. Despite its very high standards the US Navy suffers a large number of submarine related accidents. The number of accidents ranged from 67 to 154 a year since fiscal 2005, according to the data from the safety center. Out of a total of 906 accidents, 18 were considered the most severe, Class A, because someone was killed or permanently disabled, or there were damages of $2 million or more. Another 18 were Class B because someone was partially disabled, several people were hospitalized, or there were damages of $500,000 to $2 million. There are accidents and accidents. Navies constantly lose submarines. Recall how the Russian SSBN, Kursk, went down due to an explosion in its forward torpedo compartment. Those who are quick to criticize the Indian Navy for the state of its submarine fleet, this will make good informative reading.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:16:29 +0000
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