Russia freaks out: This US Navy aircraft carrier collided with a “nuclear” submarine

Summary and what you need to know: During the 1980s, a tense period of the Cold War, there were numerous near-misses, including a near-miss between the USS Kitty Hawk and the Soviet Victor-class submarine Petropavlovsk.

– In 1984, the Kitty Hawk collided with the Soviet submarine during joint naval exercises near South Korea, raising fears of possible radioactive fallout.

– The incident, released in 2017, highlights the dangers of unintentional escalation in a highly tense international environment.

– The strained relations between the United States and the Soviet Union of that period reflect today's multipolar competition between the United States, China and Russia, where similar incidents could have more serious consequences.

Near-collision in the Cold War: Near-nuclear collision of the USS Kitty Hawk with a Soviet submarine

The 1980s were one of the most crucial decades in modern history. The Cold War was in its fourth decade and, according to some historians, this conflict was at its most tense. The world was on the brink of nuclear risk and the two superpowers were testing each other like never before.

From near-nuclear accidents to tense standoffs at sea and in the air, the Cold War was hot. The era's pop culture was full of doomsday scenarios. Conflicts between major powers were ever-present.

The decade was marked by near misses and near collisions with state-of-the-art military platforms.

A near nuclear incident

One such incident occurred in 1984. The USS Kitty Hawk, one of the American supercarriers and a Soviet Victor–Class attack submarine known as PetropavlovskThe incident occurred about 240 kilometers east of South Korea during joint naval exercises with South Korean forces. Kitty Hawk was accompanied by eight escort ships when the large carrier suddenly “passed over the stern of the surfacing submarine,” according to a UPI report at the time.

Given the nature of the naval exercises between the US and South Korean navies, it is likely Petropavlovsk shadowed the warships to gather intelligence on the capabilities of the US Navy.

Reports from this period suggest Kitty HawkThe crew of the USS Nimitz were aware of the danger of a Soviet submarine shadowing their flotilla. The crew claimed they were traveling through the Sea of ​​Japan at 15 knots “with navigation lights on.” In other words, they were following agreed international rules for safe seamanship on the high seas.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Soviet submarine was intent on playing a game of cat and mouse with the American flotilla. I'm Kitty Hawk. The US Navy concluded that the Soviets were trying to test American anti-submarine systems. Petropavlovsk appeared, it tore the side of Kitty Hawk. Still, Kitty HawkThe crew of the USS Michigan was apparently more concerned about the safety of the Soviet submarine that had collided with them.

This is because Petropavlovsk was a nuclear-powered submarine and there were real concerns on the American side that the submarine's nuclear reactor had been damaged by the collision. The official US Navy report describes how Kitty Hawk tried to contact the Soviet submarine, but their calls were ignored. However, the Americans assumed that the Soviet submarine was seaworthy because it continued its journey.

This incident occurred in 1984 and was only released in 2017.

Back then, there were systems in place to contain the risk of accidental nuclear escalation. Today, the United States faces tripolar competition between itself, the People's Republic of China, and the Russian Federation.

Today’s context

Today's international environment is full of opportunities for unjustified escalation and unintended consequences. The systems that helped contain the risk of nuclear conflict during the Cold War have eroded or simply no longer exist, increasing the prospect of war as a result of an incident such as the one between Petropavlovsk And Kitty Hawk in 1984 more likely.

Kitty Hawk was no stranger to near-accidents during his deployment. In fact, the Kitty Hawk was humiliated by a Chinese Song-class diesel-electric submarine that came within firing range of the carrier while Kitty Hawk was on maneuvers. When it was within firing range, the submarine surfaced and its crew appeared to taunt the Americans.

Expect more experiences like this on the increasingly crowded and contested high seas as America sails into this dynamic, multipolar threat environment.

Author’s experience and expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a national security analyst for the National Interest, is a former congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor to The Washington Times, The Asia Times, and The Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China's Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran's Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, will be published by Encounter Books on October 22. Weichert can be followed on Twitter. @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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