Naval Sea Systems Command officials are reviewing underwater photographs to determine a repair plan for a submarine that was briefly grounded in the port of La Maddalena, Sardinia, over the weekend.
No one was injured when the USS Hartford scraped bottom at 12:40 p.m. Saturday, said Cmdr. Cate Mueller, 6th Fleet spokeswoman.
“After the incident, it was able to navigate safely under its own power to return to port,” she said.
Divers from the USS Emory S. Land submarine tender photographed the damage, limited to the rudder and plates along the hull of the 360-foot-long sub. Its nuclear reactor and water-tight integrity were not affected, Mueller said.
The photographs were sent to NAVSEA officials in Washington, D.C. Commander Submarine Group 8 is investigating the incident.
The Los Angeles-class vessel was on routine operations in the Mediterranean Sea after departing its home port of Groton, Conn., on Oct. 8. The sub was in shallow water and leaving the port for a day trip when it scraped bottom, Mueller said.
Cmdr. Christopher Van Metre is commanding officer for the sub, which has a crew of 127 enlisted personnel and 14 officers. It was christened in 1993.
The Hartford’s capabilities include mine warfare, covert coastal surveillance and intelligence gathering, operations with special forces, and combat search and rescue, according to a Navy Web site.
It is equipped with the Tomahawk cruise missile system, and its hardened sail and retractable bow planes allow it to surface through ice.
