A Japanese submarine collided with a commercial ship as it attempted to surface off the country’s Pacific coast on Monday, reports Sputnik News.
Read Also: Submarine Collides With Bulk Carrier
Submarine collides with commercial vessel
On Monday, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force reported that its diesel-powered attack submarine, Soryu, had collided with a commercial vessel off Cape Ashizuri on the southern island of Shikoku.
According to Kyodo News Agency, the submarine’s “antenna mast and other upper parts were slightly damaged” and three crew were injured.
#Japan submarine Sōryū shown with damaged sail diving plane after collision with civilian ship https://t.co/IlzRxbrezK pic.twitter.com/r6Ob2x8kn8
— Joseph Dempsey (@JosephHDempsey) February 8, 2021
Crew members suffer minor injury
Three crew members from the Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine Soryu suffered minor injuries, and pictures from the Japanese Coast Guard showed it sustained damage to its fairwater planes, the wing like structures on its conning tower.
The Defense Ministry said communications equipment on the sub was also damaged, although it was still able to operate.
“Soryu scraped the hull of the vessel as it was surfacing. It is extremely regrettable the MSDF submarine has collided with a commercial ship,” Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said.
No minor damage!
The commercial vessel — the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier Ocean Artemis — reported no damage, Coast Guard officials added.
Bradley Martin, a RAND Corp analyst and former US Navy captain who analyzed images of the damage, said the impact would have restricted the submarine’s capabilities.
“I wouldn’t call the damage ‘minor.’ The submarine can’t dive and can’t communicate,” Martin said in an email to CNN.
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Source: Sputnik News
