Editor’s note: This article was first posted Aug. 26 at 4:24 p.m. EST and has been updated.
The Navy is investigating an Aug. 18 collision involving the ballistic missile submarine Louisiana and the submarine support vessel Eagleview in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Washington Sstate.
The Louisiana and Eagleview were conducting “routine operations in the strait when the collision occurred at around 6 p.m.,” according to a statement from Submarine Force Pacific. The Louisiana is homeported in Bangor, Washington.
Both ships sustained impact damage, said spokeswoman Lt. Tia McMillen.
“There is impact damage on the aft port hull of USNS Eagleview and the forward starboard hull of the USS Louisiana,” she said. “Both ships returned safely to port under their own power.”
COMSUBPAC is leading the investigation and Military Sealift Command, which oversees auxiliary vessels like the Eagleview, is cooperating, McMillen said.
When asked whether any disciplinary actions had been taken, McMillen said the incident was still under investigation and it would be “inappropriate to speculate on any disciplinary action at this time.”
The Louisiana is the second Ohio-class sub to suffer a high-profile navigation mishap in the past year. In November, the Georgia collided with a buoy off Kings Bay, Georgia, and then ran aground, causing an estimated $1 million in damages. The commanding officer Capt. Dave Adams of the Georgia Blue crew was sacked as a result in January.
