By Kris Osborn
Eleven sailors were injured in October 2020 when a US Navy Seawolf submarine crashed into an underwater ridge – many in the press call it an underwater mountain of sorts – in the South China Sea, an accident said to be “preventable” according to a formal Navy investigation.
Seawolf with a Problem: What We Know
The Navy assessment of the incident, which also generated a need for mental health support for the crew traumatized by the crash, found that navigational sailors responsible for guiding the submarine missed as many as 10 underwater hazards near the crash site as well.
The investigation states, as cited in a CNN report, that the USS Connecticut navigation team incorrectly concluded the submarine would be operating in an open area. The submarine also suffered from “low standards” because the ship’s leadership didn’t hold sailors accountable for navigation errors or deficiencies.
Perhaps this was preventable human error, poor concentration or some kind of malfunction with the navigational system.
Certainly, the substandard performance of the navigation team, as cited in the report, likely figured prominently in the collection of interwoven factors causing the crash. Among other things, the Navy investigation resulted in the dismissal of the submarine’s commanding officer.
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The Seawolf-class of submarines, first built in the 1980s, are Cold-War era boats intended to rival or outperform the Soviet Union’s Typhoon-class.
They emerged in the 1980s and then deployed in the 1990s, however the end of the Cold War resulted in a budget reduction in the Navy’s planned fleet size and the eventual creation of the Virginia-class submarines.
The Tech Issues
Whatever the cause, the incident highlights an important technological issue that the Navy has addressed in recent years. First, manual navigation controls such as the mechanical hydraulic system used in SeaWolf and early Virginia-class submarines present some difficulties.
Certainly, a manual mechanical system might be much more prone to human error as compared to the computerized “Fly-By-Wire” navigational system now operating in Block III Virginia-class attack submarines.
The depth and speed of these submarines can be adjusted by a joystick and then monitored and controlled to a certain extent by computer automation. The computer system may also be integrated into acoustic sensors such that it can receive timely alerts in the event that there are objects, debris, mines or other obstacles likely to cause a collision.
With Fly-By-Wire technology, the boats can primarily be driven through software code and electronics, removing the need for human operators to make every small maneuver.
Using real-time analytics and an instant ability to draw upon and organize vast databases of information and sensor input, computer algorithms can now perform a range of procedural functions historically performed by humans. Using Fly-By-Wire also makes the submarine quieter and less detectable to an enemy.
Fly-By-Wire Matters
The accident with the Seawolf-class submarine simply underscores the importance of migrating to Fly-By-Wire for safety reasons, and there are also key tactical reasons why Fly-By-Wire makes a difference for the future.
Submarine sensor technology has evolved substantially in recent years and Virginia-class attack submarines in particular are increasingly being thought of as ISR or surveillance platforms. They are of course often able to move closer into high-risk enemy territories without being detected whereas approaching surface ships can of course be seen at great distances.
As far back as 2018, the Navy published a “Commander’s Intent for the United States Submarine Force” document which highlighted the importance of secret surveillance missions for attack submarines.
“We are uniquely capable of, and often best employed in, stealthy, clandestine and independent operations……. we exploit the advantages of undersea concealment which allow us to: , Conduct undetected operations such as strategic deterrent patrols, intelligence collection, Special Operations Forces support, non-provocative transits, and repositioning,” the Navy strategy document writes.
Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19 FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
