【By Observer News, Wang Shipu】 The "Connecticut" nuclear submarine that collided with a mountain in the South China Sea in 2021 will have its repair time extended by a year.

According to the US "The Drive" website on July 15, the US Navy's "Seawolf"-class attack nuclear submarine "Connecticut" (USS Connecticut) will finally be commissioned later next year. Previously, the US Navy had stated that the vessel was originally scheduled to complete repairs and be delivered to the fleet this autumn.

The "Connecticut" nuclear submarine at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

A US Navy spokesperson told "The Drive" last week: "'Connecticut' nuclear submarine (SSN 22) is currently moored in the intermediate maintenance base dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, and is undergoing an Extended Dry Dock Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) program. This program is an important maintenance phase that the submarine must go through during its entire maintenance cycle. The 'Connecticut' nuclear submarine is expected to resume service by the end of 2026."

On October 2, 2021, the "Connecticut" nuclear submarine collided with a mountain in the South China Sea. Five days after the accident, on October 7, the US Navy confirmed the collision incident in a statement. On the same day, the "Connecticut" limped to Guam for emergency repairs. On December 15, 2021, the "Connecticut" made a brief stop at the San Diego Naval Base before returning to its home port of Bremerton, Washington.

Local residents in San Diego captured images of the damaged "Connecticut". From photos released on social media, it is clear that the bow sonar dome structure is significantly damaged, with a portion of the sonar dome missing from the part exposed above water.

The Extended Dry Dock Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) was officially launched in February 2023. In March 2023, the Navy told "Naval News" that the maintenance period "theoretically expanded to 31 months," which would allow the "Connecticut" to resume service in September 2025.

The estimated cost of repairs is unknown. Congress approved $40 million for "emergency repairs," and an additional $10 million was allocated in 2021 for the construction of a dome, but this is just a small part of the total expected cost.

Subsequently, the US Navy attributed the major incident to human error. The US Navy stated that a weak command environment and a lax attitude toward critical mission execution, such as allowing the submarine to head towards underwater mountains, were the main causes of the accident. After the incident, the submarine's commanding officer, executive officer, and chief sonar technician were relieved of their duties.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7527514756513530431/

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