If only the Navy had an entire department and a fleet of civilian ships who’s entire job was to make sure this didn’t happen…
USS Connecticut CO, XO and Master Chief have been fired over the sea mount incident.
“Thomas determined sound judgement, prudent decision-making and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch team execution and risk management could have prevented the incident,” according to a 7th Fleet statement.
Priority for surveys is given to areas with more traffic. Google says currently about 20% of the oceans have good surveys. In 2017 it was about 6% to modern standards.
Priority for surveys is wherever the hell the Navy wants a survey done. Or to the highest bidder.
Not always. Strategic areas get special attention i.e. the Persian Gulf.
Just in general terms; the 80% of the ocean with poorer surveys is going to tend be deep waters with less traffic while the 20% with good surveys is going to tend be approaches to ports etc.
Vast areas of the oceans remain poorly surveyed.
I would expect USN subs to travel in areas that have been surveyed or at least be especially vigilant in areas that have not. Isn’t there some kind of flir that they monitor when not travelling in tactical areas?
IDK what happened here but apparently they were not adhering to required procedures.
I’d still like to know how much they can “see” under water. They’re pretty adept at dodging through canyons in movies,
Unless using active sonar they are blind. Even in very shallow, gin clear water on a sunny day at noon the visibility (if they have an external camera) would still be less than 20 or 30 meters.
Couldn’t they just surface and ask some nearby fishing boat for advice on the position of seamounts in the area.
PS> Google should be able to translate from Hainanese to English v.v., if necessary,
There were no goats on the Mount (see Larson cartoon)
I was told by sources on here that she hit a trawler that is now on the bottom?
Right next to the rock that was ejected from the Marianas Trench!
I wonder if this is relevant?
I agree. I’m puzzled how they could have detected the seamount without making a noise but its been 50 years since I was around this sort of thing.
The crunching sound as the front falls off is very distinct. 
You got me there. Navigation by Braille is not recommended.
Looks like they weren’t being vigilant enough. Some kind of “flir”? No. They don’t refer to it as “blind man’s bluff” for nothing.
Cheers, QMC(SS) Ret.