Ruh Oh...

[scoober78]

Put this atop your list of things you don't want to be on board for.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ne...reported_on_sub_at_portsmouth_naval_shipyard/

http://www.kjonline.com/news/Fire-breaks-out-on-board-a-nuclear-submarine-docked-in-Kittery.html

By the way...I heart the media...
"The ship’s nuclear reactor is in the forward part of the submarine. The fire broke out at the other end." Uh....no. Thanks though.

 

[Renegade One]

Well, it probably makes my Top Ten...not sure it'd be number 1. If it was submerged? Maybe.

 

[nittany03]

Another story to make you realize that somewhere, someone in the Navy is having a worse day than you.

 

[picklesuit]

$400 Million dollar vacuum cleaner...

 

[helolumpy]

I heard from a sub driver that the fire was so hot that the hull plates were glowing.
The big concern was how can you verify the strength of an entire hull plate. You can only do so much NDI but you may never be able to certify the hull to be what it was before the fire.

 

[MasterBates]

Sub hulls probably don't react well to redneck heat treatment. At a minimum those plates got annealed, then probably a surface quench when the water form the hoses hit them.

 

[Brett327]

I heard from a sub driver that the fire was so hot that the hull plates were glowing.
The big concern was how can you verify the strength of an entire hull plate. You can only do so much NDI but you may never be able to certify the hull to be what it was before the fire.

Wonder what the cost/benefit is on just striking it. I'm sure the engineers will figure it out, the they've got to be thinking of the liability of putting it back into service with a hull that has been subjected to that kind of punishment. I presume the hulls are done in a modular fashion, but that's still quite an undertaking.

 

[BusyBee604]

I'm sure the engineers will figure it out, the they've got to be thinking of the liability of putting it back into service with a hull that has been subjected to that kind of punishment.

If they do decide to repair/refurbish, I wouldn't want to be aboard on the first dive to 'test depth'! I am fortunate that my number of career dive and surface totals are the same...

BzB

 

[wlawr005]

Sub hulls probably don't react well to redneck heat treatment. At a minimum those plates got annealed, then probably a surface quench when the water form the hoses hit them.

Agreed, you don't want your hull plates deforming when exposed to depth pressure.

 

[wlawr005]

I heard from a sub driver that the fire was so hot that the hull plates were glowing.
The big concern was how can you verify the strength of an entire hull plate. You can only do so much NDI but you may never be able to certify the hull to be what it was before the fire.

If they knew how hot the fire was and the length of exposure, they probably wouldn't even have to NDI it. I'd venture to say it's pretty muched fucked.

 

[EM1toNFO]

I was at some fine Navy training there when it happened. They woke us up at 0200 to have a mando emer muster to make sure we didn't head down the block to "help out". Def crazy stuff!!

 

[exNavyOffRec]

They can do some amazing stuff with fixing these submarines, if they can cut the nose off of the San Fran and replace it with another I am sure they can fix the Miami, the question is "is this cost effective"

 

[zippy]

They can do some amazing stuff with fixing these submarines, if they can cut the nose off of the San Fran and replace it with another I am sure they can fix the Miami, the question is "is this cost effective"

As I understand it, the only reason they kept San Fran was because they had recently dropped all that coin on the refueling and it would have been a bigger waste to go through the scrapping/disposal of the nuclear reactor process.

 

[scoober78]

My educated guess would be, that since it's one of the older 688i's that it all comes down to EFPH remaining on the core. If it's early in life, it may well be worth salvaging....if it isn't, that cost will put it over the reasonable cost threshold to operate and she'll be struck.

 

[Spekkio]

My biggest disappointment (aside from losing half a submarine) is how the media portrayed the Submariners as needing to be saved by the local fire depts. Of course, media recognition is not why we do this, but at least have the courtesy to not make the crew out to be helpless souls who needed to be rescued.

If the hull passes testing and can withstand a dive, she will be repaired. If not, they will explore whether to make her a prototype or to scrap her. Nothing is confirmed, but the first option is looking optimistic.