Two senior officers of the nuclear-powered attack submarine damaged in an underwater collision last month in the South China Sea have been dismissed by the US Navy, the military announced on Thursday.
A naval officer who served as a senior enlisted adviser to the commander and the executive officer has been removed from his position. The actions were taken by Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of the US 7th Fleet, based in Japan.
“Thomas determined sound judgement, prudent decision-making and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch team execution and risk management could have prevented the incident,” as per a 7th Fleet statement.
U.S. Navy officials have not yet publicly explained how or why the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class submarine, struck the seamount, or underwater mountain, nor revealed the extent of the damage. Although the incident occurred on October 2, the Navy only reported it five days later, several days after the incident had taken place.
