U.S. Nuclear Submarine Snagged by Fishing Net: You Won’t Believe How Long It Took to Realize

On November 14, an unusual incident in the northeastern waters of Norway captured global attention when the fishing vessel Oweigut reported an unexpected catch. The vessel’s trawl net had snagged something far larger than any fish – a nuclear submarine, a cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s strategic triad.

Norwegian media outlet NRK reported that the propeller of the USS Virginia, a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, had become entangled in a net deployed by a Norwegian fishing boat off Norway’s northeastern coast.

Norwegian fisherman Harald Engen recounted that after hauling in his catch and redeploying his net, he was contacted by the Coast Guard while heading back to shore. The Coast Guard informed him that his net had snagged the propeller of the USS Virginia and had been dragged for approximately two nautical miles.

The submarine in question, the USS Virginia, is a formidable vessel measuring 115 meters (377 feet) in length and displacing 7,800 tonnes. At the time of the incident, it navigated northward after departing from Tromsø, Norway.

A Norwegian Coast Guard vessel was quickly dispatched to the scene. The crew severed the fishing net from the submarine’s propeller, allowing the U.S. vessel to continue its mission unimpeded. The incident damaged the fishing gear, with the net requiring replacement and the catch escaping. The fishing boat’s crew only learned of the event after being notified by the Coast Guard.

Frustrated Fishermen, Embarrassed Navy

In an interview with local media, Captain Engen expressed his frustration, stating that an American submarine had torn its net from its hull without asking for any assistance. He explained that the net subsequently sank to the seabed and that they could not recover it. “I know other ships sail over fishing nets, but no one expected it to involve a submarine,” he added.

Ironically, the fishermen’s initial catch of cod and flounder from their first net deployment had earned them 20,000 Norwegian kroner (about $1,900). However, the replacement cost of the damaged net is estimated to be between 40,000 and 50,000 kroner ($3,800 to $4,750).

The incident has become a source of international embarrassment for the U.S. Navy, with its advanced nuclear submarine being snared by fishing gear worth roughly $4,750. Adding to the Navy’s chagrin, reports suggest that the 7,800-tonne submarine continued for about two nautical miles before realizing it had been “caught.”

Following media reports, Lieutenant Pearson Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Sixth Fleet, confirmed the incident to Business Insider. He stated that an investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing. Hawkins added that if the U.S. is found responsible for damage to civilian equipment, there are established procedures for filing compensation claims.

Strategic Significance of the Barents-Norwegian Waters

The incident occurred in a strategically sensitive area where the Barents Sea meets the Norwegian Sea, a region of particular interest to Russia due to its proximity to Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.

As U.S.-Norwegian military cooperation has intensified, U.S. Navy assets have been increasingly deployed to this region. In June, the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee and the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy were positioned in Norwegian waters to counter Russian military activities.

The Norwegian military recently announced joint naval exercises with the U.S. Navy’s Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, scheduled from October through November. The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is also slated to participate in these maneuvers.

A Sobering Reminder of Past Incidents

In November 1999, a British Royal Navy Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine became entangled in a large fishing net while conducting exercises off Ireland’s west coast.

Like the recent incident, the British submarine continued its journey unaware of the entanglement, dragging the attached fishing vessel until it capsized. Tragically, all four crew members aboard the fishing boat perished in that accident.

Following the 1999 incident, The National Interest noted that British Navy submarines have largely avoided operating near fishing grounds since the tragedy. The publication also added a sobering note, stating that in the ‘contest’ between fishing vessels and submarines, fishermen now realize that they are fortunate if the ‘big fish’—referring to a submarine—escapes their net safely; otherwise, it might become their unexpected ‘catch’ for the day.

Virginia-Class: A High-Tech Marvel, Caught in Low-Tech Gear

The USS Virginia, the submarine involved in this recent incident, shares specifications with the fictional “Arkansas” featured in the 2018 film Hunter Killer, starring Gerard Butler. This nuclear-powered attack submarine, designated as an SSN (Nuclear Powered Submarine), is designed for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare. It belongs to the same class of vessels as Russia’s Akula-class and the U.S. Navy’s Seawolf-class submarines. Unlike other submarine types, it does not carry ballistic or cruise missiles.