The Chinese military is still in the dark over what damaged the US nuclear submarine when it was on the prowl in the disputed South China Sea early this month, while satellite photos of the moored vessel showed that the sub may have had a head-on collision, rendering it “deaf and blind”, according to a media report on Saturday.
A recent satellite image suggests that the damage to the American submarine, the USS Connecticut may have been caused by a head-on collision with a pint-sized submerged object in the South China Sea (SCS), according to Chinese military experts.
The incident four weeks ago may have occurred in waters near the disputed Paracel Islands in the SCS controlled by China, indicating the Chinese Navy could have detected the American sub on its way to Guam but was not aware of its damaged condition, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Earlier this month, media reports said that the US nuclear-powered submarine was damaged after it struck an object underwater in the SCS.
Eleven sailors on board the USS Connecticut were injured in the accident. None of the injuries were life-threatening, an announcement by the US Pacific Fleet said.
