Regarding what USS Connecticut hit on October 2, 2021 to cause major bow damage. In the following I have bolded key phrases for emphasis:
On October 8, I wrote:
“But I’d put my money on [Connecticut] hitting the seafloor, a rock or islet.”
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In what cannot be retrospectively altered or faked, I wrote on Oct 29, 2021, 6:33:00 PM (Australian Eastern Time):
“Pete said...
Thanks /Kjell
For your Oct 29, 2021, 7:41:00 AM
With the USS Connecticut losing its sonar dome I think at high speed it hit a rock projecting up from the seabed. That assessment is part based on no reports about another sub or surface vessel being it.
So its not surprising the USN would want to coverup up such a basic navigation-sensor error.
Given that the Connecticut's Seawolf-class has been out of production for so many years there may be no spare-parts process to repair it. So repairs may run in the 10s or 100s US$millions or even beyond economic repair.
Time will tell.
Regards
Pete
Oct 29, 2021, 6:33:00 PM”
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Two days later, on November 1, 2021 5:55 PM, USNI News reported
"Investigation Concludes USS Connecticut Grounded on Uncharted Seamount in South China Sea
Investigators have determined USS Connecticut (SSN-22) hit an uncharted seamount that grounded the nuclear attack submarine on the underwater feature in the South China Sea Navy, USNI News has learned....”
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Pete Comment
A “seamount” is defined as“a large geologic landform that rises from the ocean floor but that does not reach to the water's surface”.
I would say a "landform" causing that much damage was pretty hard, like a rock.
Whatever time zone the USNI wrote from the USNI report came out many hours after I published my comment that USS Connecticut “hit a rock projecting up from the seabed”.