Sounds Heard From Missing Argentine Sub

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Argentinian navy detects noises that could be signal from missing sub

By John Kirby, Ana Melgar and Joe Sterling, CNN

Updated 1:06 PM ET, Mon November 20, 2017

(CNN)Argentina's navy on Monday picked up noises that could be a distress signal from the crew of a missing submarine and said the sub's captain reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system before it disappeared.
The sonar systems of two ships detected noises sounding like tools being banged against the hull of a submarine, according to a senior US Navy official familiar with the Navy's assistance in the search for the Argentinian vessel.
The official said that crews of submarines in distress bang on the vessel's hull to alert passing ships to their location. The missing submarine -- ARA San Juan -- has a crew of 44.

The Argentinian navy was able to fix the rough location of the sounds the two ships picked up and is now concentrating its search in an area of 35 square nautical miles approximately 330 miles off the coast of Argentina, the official said.
The submarine was heading from a base in southern Argentina's Tierra del Fuego archipelago to its home port in Mar del Plata. It was scheduled to arrive there Sunday.

'Failure' reported in the vessel's battery system

The vessel's captain reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system shortly before it disappeared last week, the country's Navy spokesman Gabriel Galeazzi said Monday.
After he reported the sub had experienced a "short circuit," he was told to "change course and return to Mar del Plata," said Galeazzi.
Argentina's missing submarine: What we know
Argentina's missing submarine: What we know
This type of problem is considered routine and the vessel's crew was reported safe, he added.
The Argentinian navy had one more communication with the captain before the sub went missing, said Galeazzi. The navy did not give details of the content of that final communication.
On Saturday, seven reported communication attempts were initially believed to originate from the San Juan -- but on Monday officials said the radio calls had not come from the missing sub.
The last confirmed contact with the submarine was Wednesday, the Argentinian navy said.

The US official said that the waters of the Atlantic Ocean where the sounds originated are extremely deep. The official stressed that search efforts thus far have yet to locate the submarine.
The Argentinian military has also been working with a US company that specializes in satellite communication to determine the location of the submarine.
The search area, off the Patagonia coast, is notorious for strong storms.

Clock is ticking

While submarines of this size and class can stay at sea for around a month, that doesn't mean they can spend 30 days underwater.
"It's dependent upon the last time they actually recharged their batteries, how long ago they refreshed the air, what's inside the submarine. We just don't know," said William Craig Reed, a former US Navy diver and submariner.
If it has sunk but is still intact, the crew will have about a week to 10 days of oxygen, Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University said.
When in operation the sub could travel submerged around 50 meters (165 feet) below the surface, Layton said.
It would come near the surface to "snort" -- replenish its oxygen, recharge the batteries by using the diesel engines and send radio signals -- around once every 24 hours.

CNN's military and diplomatic analyst John Kirby reported in Washington. CNN's Joe Sterling reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Euan McKirdy, Natalie Gallon and Susannan Cullinane contributed to this report.
 
I am hoping to hear good news. I did 12 patrols on SSBNs in 1990's and early 2000's, I can only imagine what the crew of this boat is thinking right now.
I hope they can hold out.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Most submarine accidents do not end well. Remember the USS Thresher (SSN-593) in 1963?


Was not alive but met two people who never met their fathers they can remember due to that. The sub was built locally to me.

The Russian one was awful with the Kursk because they suffered and then died since rescue was not in USSR capabilities.
 
The "extremely deep" part sounds bad.
There is no means of rescuing a crew from a boat resting on the seabed at great depths.
Were the sub in shallower water, the crew could self rescue.
I wish these guys the best, but it sounds bad.
Anyway, why should mere battery problems have caused the loss of a diesel-electric boat?
If that were all that were wrong, they could have surface cruised back to port.
An awful situation anyway you look at it. I hope that some way of saving this crew can be found.
Where's the Glomar Explorer these days?
 
It's bothering me. It just bothers me that I'm going to bed tonight in comfort while those sub mariners are trapped and facing death. I can't imagine what it is like and it sounds cold but I have to push it out of my mind since there is nothing I can do and thinking about it does nothing useful.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
The "extremely deep" part sounds bad.
There is no means of rescuing a crew from a boat resting on the seabed at great depths.
Were the sub in shallower water, the crew could self rescue.
I wish these guys the best, but it sounds bad.
Anyway, why should mere battery problems have caused the loss of a diesel-electric boat?
If that were all that were wrong, they could have surface cruised back to port.
An awful situation anyway you look at it. I hope that some way of saving this crew can be found.
Where's the Glomar Explorer these days?



Guess no one thought about a battery exploding eh?

It will turn up sooner or later so just pray it ends well
 
My heart aches for these folks and their families. I can't think of something I rather do LESS than work in a metal tube well under the sea that takes tons of effort to not sink.

I worked with many Navy submariners over the years. Their stories are awesome. I have tons of respect for these men and women.
 
Originally Posted By: car51
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
The "extremely deep" part sounds bad.
There is no means of rescuing a crew from a boat resting on the seabed at great depths.
Were the sub in shallower water, the crew could self rescue.
I wish these guys the best, but it sounds bad.
Anyway, why should mere battery problems have caused the loss of a diesel-electric boat?
If that were all that were wrong, they could have surface cruised back to port.
An awful situation anyway you look at it. I hope that some way of saving this crew can be found.
Where's the Glomar Explorer these days?



Guess no one thought about a battery exploding eh?

It will turn up sooner or later so just pray it ends well


Diesel electric boats have been active for more than a century.
All of the possible failure modes have been seen and are well understood.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
The "extremely deep" part sounds bad.
There is no means of rescuing a crew from a boat resting on the seabed at great depths.
Were the sub in shallower water, the crew could self rescue.
I wish these guys the best, but it sounds bad.
Anyway, why should mere battery problems have caused the loss of a diesel-electric boat?
If that were all that were wrong, they could have surface cruised back to port.
An awful situation anyway you look at it. I hope that some way of saving this crew can be found.
Where's the Glomar Explorer these days?



First thing that comes to my mind is a hydrogen / oxygen explosion . Also , I seem to remember sea water + battery acid = chlorine gas .

Evidently this is a diesel - electric sub . So , I am guessing the crush debt is not that great ?

I had a cousin in Polaris boats during the early 1970's . So I did some reading about subs , back then .

May God be with the crew .
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: car51
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
The "extremely deep" part sounds bad.
There is no means of rescuing a crew from a boat resting on the seabed at great depths.
Were the sub in shallower water, the crew could self rescue.
I wish these guys the best, but it sounds bad.
Anyway, why should mere battery problems have caused the loss of a diesel-electric boat?
If that were all that were wrong, they could have surface cruised back to port.
An awful situation anyway you look at it. I hope that some way of saving this crew can be found.
Where's the Glomar Explorer these days?




Guess no one thought about a battery exploding eh?





It will turn up sooner or later so just pray it ends well


Diesel electric boats have been active for more than a century.
All of the possible failure modes have been seen and are well understood.



We will find out won’t we?
smile.gif


I never jump to conclusions btw
 
It's tough because the sub is questions was renovated in 2008 according to the Argentinian Navy and has a very good record. Sorry for the families of these sailors that are probably now on eternal patrol...
 
Since you are probably the most knowledgeable guy in this thread, I'm really sorry to hear that.
One always hopes for the best for a crew in a crippled sub, even in the case of the Russian one some years ago.
Seems like an awful way to die and no active duty crew deserves that.
After all, they're only acting in the service of their country.
 
Just waiting and hoping for good news, makes me think of my time underway and my up coming rides on Sea trials. All on submarines.

No one has said they have heard the sounds of a hull collapsing, but they could just be keeping that quiet. Timing is running out for these Submariners and I hope they are found.
 
I will be honest, after having been around Submarine for 23 years and completing 12 Trident patrols, this kills me a little on the inside to think of the possible outcomes.

Makes me think about my next sea trials a little differently.
 
It seems there is now some cautious optimism that the sub might be afloat after attempted satellite phone calls...
 
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