Flap's Dentistry Blog: Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Submarine Collides With Japanese Ship

A U.S. submarine has collided with a Japanese merchant vessel, a senior U.S. Navy official told CNN.
The USS Newport News was surfacing in the Arabian Sea south of the Straits of Hormuz when it hit the Japanese ship, the official said.

There were no injuries, he said, but there was some damage.

“Neither ship is in extremis,” the official said late Monday local time in Washington D.C., meaning the damage was not serious enough to put the ships in jeopardy.

The incident recalled a previous collision between a U.S. submarine and a Japanese ship.
On February 9, 2001, the USS Greeneville struck the training ship Ehime Maru during an emergency ascent demonstration.

Nine people, including four high school students, were killed. Twenty-six others on the ship were rescued.

Another accident similar to this one is chronicled here.

Posted on 01/08/2007 6:56:24 PM PST by HAL9000

An American nuclear submarine runs up against a Japanese tanker

TOKYO - a submarine with nuclear propulsion American and a tanker Japanese entered in collision the sea of Oman, with broad of the coasts of the Arabic Peninsula, confirmed Tuesday the Japanese ministry of the Foreign Affairs.

“the ministry received information early this morning. We currently try to obtain more details “, indicated on its side a spokesman of the ministry.

According to the news service nippone Jiji, the accident did not cause any major damage and the tanker was Tuesday in a port of the plain Arab Emirates.

AP: U.S. submarine, Japanese ship collide

Damage to the fast-attack USS Newport News submarine and the tanker was light and there was no resulting spill of oil or leakage of nuclear fuel, officials from U.S. Navy, Japanese and Emirates government said.

Both ships remained able to navigate, said a Navy official in Japan who requested anonymity because the details of the incident had not yet been released.

The bow of the nuclear-powered Newport News hit the stern of the oil tanker Mogamikawa as the vessels were passing just outside the Straits Monday night, causing minor damage to the Japanese vessel, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said. The Japanese government said it was informed of the crash by the Navy and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

With everything happening in and around the Strait of Hormuz, it is a little too convenient that an American Attack submarine with Tomahawk missiles is struck by an ally merchant ship while surfacing and - within striking range of Iran.

Is this a subtle warning and reminder to the Iranian Mullahs as to what American Naval fire power is?

You betcha……

And Flap is not even mentioning the nuclear-powered, ballistic nuclear missile-carrying submarines - BOOMERS
President Bush will be ordering an increase in troops in the Iraq War. And America has attacked Al Qaeda in Somalia.

But, is this a prelude to the big conflict?

The destruction of Iran’’s nuclear facilities?

Stay tuned……