Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Navy vessel has again collided with an apparent
civilian boat in the Gulf.

Officials said a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine struck a vessel
around the Strait of Hormuz. They said the submarine, identified as the USS
Jacksonville, did not sustain major damage in the incident on Jan. 10.

The Fifth Fleet did not acknowledge the collision with what appeared to be a fishing boat. This marked the second collision between a U.S. Navy vessel and a civilian platform in the Gulf since August 2012.

“The reactor remains in a safe condition,” the Navy’s Fifth Fleet said
on Jan. 11. “There was no damage to the propulsion plant systems and there is no concern regarding watertight integrity.”

“[USS Jacksonville] continued on a consistent course and speed offering no indication of distress or acknowledgment of a collision,” the naval statement said.

Officials said the periscope of the Los Angeles-class submarine was
damaged but that a P-3 Orion reconnaissance did not find any damaged boat. They said nobody was injured and that the navy was investigating the collision.

Iran has demanded approval for any passage through Hormuz. Officials
said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has harassed U.S. Navy ships
around the strait.

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