Navy probes nuclear sub/Aegis cruiser collision

Photo provided by U.S. Navy shows USS Montpelier operating under its own power Sunday / MC2 Mike DiMestico/Released,AP Photo/U.S. Navy

Last Updated 12:39 p.m. ET

NORFOLK, Va. The Navy submarine and the Aegis cruiser that collided off the East Coast are both back in port and officials are investigating what went wrong, the Pentagon said late Sunday.

Lt. Commander Brian Badura of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command said in a news release that the submarine USS Montpelier arrived at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in southern Georgia. The USS San Jacinto arrived at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Montpelier is a Los Angeles class nuclear-powered fast-attack sub, Navy records show.

The vessels collided at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday during routine training operations and no one was injured. The news release said now that they are back in port, crews can further determine the extent of the damage.

According to CBS News national security correspondent David Martin, the submarine surfaced right in front of the cruiser. When the bridge watch on the cruiser suddenly saw the sub's periscope, they threw all engines into reverse but were unable to stop in time.

The cruiser's bow hit the submarine's stern, said Martin. The cruiser's sonar, which is located in the bow, was ruptured; the submarine's rudder was sheared off.

The news release said that the sub's propulsion plant was not damaged.

Videos showing both the Montpelier and the USS San Jacinto operating under their own power Sunday were released by the Pentagon.

Navy officials said the collision was under investigation, but declined to offer more specifics, including where it happened.

"We have had circumstances where Navy vessels have collided at sea in the past, but they're fairly rare as to how often they do take place," Badura told The Associated Press.

Martin notes that under the rules of the sea, the submarine is the ship responsible for making sure there are no other vessels in the way before it surfaces.

[Avenmashiara]

Just ignore the trolling 'academic'. Just because you spit out a bunch of horrific facts doesn't make them in any way relevant to the article you have posted them under.

Any country that declares publically its intent to destroy another country for reasons other than self-defense doesn't deserve the capability.

I would be willing to bet heavily that 99% percent of posters of such ignorant comments have no personal experience with military operations, or nuclear propulsion systems, or national defense. Do yourself a favor and educate yourself, then once you have earned a little bit of credibility use it for something more than trolling news articles to fire up others. The only thing you make look bad is yourself.

[ibsteve2u]

I'm sure that you did not intend to add gravitas - nor attract attention - to the positions of a commentator that you disagree with by demanding that the world ignore that commentator and those positions.

[ibsteve2u]

You can't see him because of the wake, but one of the ST6 guys is hanging off the stern of the Montpelier kicking to port or starboard as needed - which is how they're still underway without their rudder.

[lillyhorton]

It is OK for the US to use nuclear power but not for Iran?

[lillyhorton]

The US is a terrorist nation. You just refuse to see it that way because the terrorist have yet to enfold upon its self but rather they attack other nations in the name of democracy. What makes a nation civilized Empire? Do drug dealers and users make the US civilized? Do gangs, pimps and drug lords make us civilized? Does stabbing a stranger while fighting over some sale item during Black Friday make us cuivilized? Does not holding a door for the people behind us make us civilized? Does wearing our skirt up to our kity cats and tops down to our buddies make us civilized? Does listening to hate music make us civilized? Does viewing internet porn and child porn make us civilized? Does yelling at the cashier at McDonalds over the broken frape machine make us civilized. Look around you. I work at a university and have stories about US citizens from bugars on the wall to painting with feces. These are not isolated incidences. They happen year after year. Have you heard of the dance called BUCKING? Its where a random woman is knocked to the floor by a man who tries to grab the girls foot. The harder she tries to get him off of her the more the crowd cheers. Many of these girls smile and accept the attack because if she gets angry she gets put out of the group. You heard of the act of using alcohol up the colon to get drunk faster right? You heard of slipping drugs in drinks for the purpose of robbing them?

[chenz66]

Yes LillyHorton - everything you listed and more does happen here in the States but that is what being free is all about. It is not possible for the government to control all its people in our society nor would we want to because we would be no better than Iran. What is the big difference is exactly what EmpireGeorge has stated. The United States would never provoke an attack with nuclear weapons only defend ourselves. That could not be said about Iran if they obtain nuclear capability. The Iranian government cannot be trusted as their religion dictates a lot of what they do instead of common sense.

[Mick_from_Amsterdam]

Sources in the Pentagon are whispering about a former Italian cruse ship captain, finding himself unemployed...who took a job as master of a nuclear fast-attack submarine...

And when he thought he saw someone he knew on the deck of the cruiser...just wanted to swing close enough to wave!

[scottyusa123]

Two of he most expensive types of ships in the Navy. OUCH!

[NadePaulKuciGravMcKi]

No vertical tail fin ...

[gregory1958]

Duuuuuu which way did he go George.

[NadePaulKuciGravMcKi]

No vertical tail fin ...