Understanding Submarine Collisions
The Incident The USS John S. McCain, a Seawolf-class attack submarine, collided with the oil tanker Alnic MC on August 21, 2017, while operating in the busy waters of the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia. The incident occurred around 5:24 am local time as the submarine was traveling northbound through the strait. The collision caused significant damage to the McCain’s hull, resulting in flooding of its compartments and rendering it unable to dive or operate effectively....