US Nuclear Submarine Responsible for Destroying Net
The USS Virginia, a nuclear-powered submarine, has apparently become entangled in halibut nets near Tromso, Norway. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Fishermen from Tromso reported an unusual incident involving a significant catch: 200kg of halibut and a submerged 7,800-ton US submarine.
According to local accounts, a nuclear-powered US submarine became ensnared in a fishing net off Norway's northern coast, providing one fisherman with a story for the ages while devastating his halibut haul.
The fishing vessel Oygutt, operating out of Tromso, had managed to catch around 200kg of halibut on Monday morning before casting its nets again, hoping for another successful haul. Instead, captain Harald Engen “hauled in” a missile submarine weighing 7,800 tons.
“We were on our way back to the fish farm on Sommaroya when we were called up by the Coast Guard," Engen told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “A submarine had gone into our halibut net and dragged it two nautical miles northward into the sea.”
Unfortunately, all that remained of the valuable fishing gear was a buoy. “The net is at the bottom of the sea,” Engen, 22, added. “It is gone, and we will probably never find it again.”
Coast Guard spokesman Kenneth Dahl confirmed to NRK that the fishing vessel had indeed encountered a submarine.
Norwegian media indicated that the submarine involved was the USS Virginia, a fast-attack vessel powered by nuclear reactors and equipped with cruise missiles. The submarine was in Tromso as part of a mission to “deter and defend the increasingly complex security environment of the High North,” according to a US Navy statement.
On Monday, the propellers of the 115-meter-long submarine became entangled in Engen's net; however, it took several days for both Norwegian media and the US Navy to fully recognize the incident.
Lieutenant Pierson Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US 6th Fleet, informed Business Insider that an investigation into the incident is underway, although he did not confirm the identity of the submarine involved.
“I have heard of other vessels going over net links, but no one out here has heard of a submarine doing that,” Engen told NRK, acknowledging the story's potential for local folklore at the village pub.
While Engen holds no grudge against the Americans, he hopes to see his expensive gear replaced. However, he may need to navigate some bureaucratic processes first. As Hawkins mentioned, “when the US is responsible for damage to civilian equipment, there is a claims process to reimburse the expense.”
With its status as a founding NATO member and a border with Russia in the Arctic, Norway has seen an increase in American naval presence in response to Russian fleet activities.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to local accounts, a nuclear-powered US submarine became ensnared in a fishing net off Norway's northern coast, providing one fisherman with a story for the ages while devastating his halibut haul.
The fishing vessel Oygutt, operating out of Tromso, had managed to catch around 200kg of halibut on Monday morning before casting its nets again, hoping for another successful haul. Instead, captain Harald Engen “hauled in” a missile submarine weighing 7,800 tons.
“We were on our way back to the fish farm on Sommaroya when we were called up by the Coast Guard," Engen told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “A submarine had gone into our halibut net and dragged it two nautical miles northward into the sea.”
Unfortunately, all that remained of the valuable fishing gear was a buoy. “The net is at the bottom of the sea,” Engen, 22, added. “It is gone, and we will probably never find it again.”
Coast Guard spokesman Kenneth Dahl confirmed to NRK that the fishing vessel had indeed encountered a submarine.
Norwegian media indicated that the submarine involved was the USS Virginia, a fast-attack vessel powered by nuclear reactors and equipped with cruise missiles. The submarine was in Tromso as part of a mission to “deter and defend the increasingly complex security environment of the High North,” according to a US Navy statement.
On Monday, the propellers of the 115-meter-long submarine became entangled in Engen's net; however, it took several days for both Norwegian media and the US Navy to fully recognize the incident.
Lieutenant Pierson Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US 6th Fleet, informed Business Insider that an investigation into the incident is underway, although he did not confirm the identity of the submarine involved.
“I have heard of other vessels going over net links, but no one out here has heard of a submarine doing that,” Engen told NRK, acknowledging the story's potential for local folklore at the village pub.
While Engen holds no grudge against the Americans, he hopes to see his expensive gear replaced. However, he may need to navigate some bureaucratic processes first. As Hawkins mentioned, “when the US is responsible for damage to civilian equipment, there is a claims process to reimburse the expense.”
With its status as a founding NATO member and a border with Russia in the Arctic, Norway has seen an increase in American naval presence in response to Russian fleet activities.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
