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The US Navy’s Failure in the USS Louisiana-USNS Eagleview Collision

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wednesday

The United States Navy remains one of the most sophisticated forces in the world. Yet, its capabilities have been declining over the years. Not only is there an awful shortage of ships and submarines, but the Navy has struggled with training and recruitment as well. 

What’s more, the Navy’s ships and submarines are dangerously dependent on technology for navigation. In recent years, there has been a troubling array of near-misses and outright collisions between expensive and hard-to-replace Navy vessels.

Take, for instance, the 2016 collision between the Ohio-class nuclear missile submarine (SSBN) USS Louisiana (SSBN-743) and its escort vessel, the USNS Eagleview, in the busy waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca off Washington State’s coastline. The collision unfolded around 6 pm Pacific Standard Time during routine operations. 

Earlier that day, the Louisiana had surfaced to transfer a sailor for humanitarian reasons, after which the submarine planned to resume its course toward the Pacific Ocean.

The 

© The National Interest