U.S. "Collision Mountain" Nuclear Submarine to Re-enter Service Next Summer

According to a report from Reference News Network on October 2, the U.S. Navy's most cherished "Seawolf" class nuclear-powered attack submarine, the USS Connecticut (as shown), has had its reactivation date postponed to next summer. This submarine was severely damaged in 2021 after colliding with an underwater mountain in the South China Sea, particularly at its bow.

Reports indicate that the Navy had previously hoped to complete repairs by the end of this year and is currently formulating a plan for the submarine to be decommissioned in 2031. This means it will only serve for another four years before being completely retired.

A Navy official stated, “The USS Connecticut is currently undergoing a complex 'Extended Dry Docking Selected Restricted Availability' overhaul at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. The current work includes structural and system repairs as well as necessary lifecycle maintenance. The target completion date set by the Navy for this overhaul is summer 2027.”

The USS Connecticut is the second of three "Seawolf" class submarines commissioned between 1997 and 2005, the other two being the USS Seawolf and the USS Jimmy Carter.

Compared to other submarines currently in the Navy's inventory, the USS Seawolf and the USS Connecticut possess advanced combat capabilities. The Navy utilizes these three "Seawolf" class submarines to perform various specialized missions.

In October 2021, after colliding with the underwater mountain, the USS Connecticut struggled to make its way to Guam, then proceeded to San Diego in Southern California, and finally headed north to Puget Sound, where it has remained docked since.

The "War Zone" channel website has previously reported that there are special complexities involved in conducting major repairs on the Navy's three "Seawolf" class submarines.

For a long time, Navy budget documents have consistently shown that the U.S. has been advancing the modernization of key systems on the three "Seawolf" class submarines, some of which were designed as early as the 1970s.

Reports indicate that it is currently unclear how much funding is required for the repairs and associated comprehensive maintenance.

Due to the repair progress of the USS Connecticut, the U.S. Navy may have only one "Seawolf" class submarine in service for at least some time. According to Navy budget documents, the USS Seawolf is currently scheduled to enter its routine maintenance availability period in May next year, with maintenance lasting until February 2030. As mentioned earlier, according to the Navy's latest annual shipbuilding plan, the Navy has now planned for the USS Connecticut to be decommissioned in 2031, which may make it the first "Seawolf" class submarine to be retired. (Translated by Qiu Fang)