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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Chemical linked detonation likely caused Kursk sinking |
| 2017-06-01 |
| Conspiracy theories regarding the sinking of the Kursk are rife on the Russian Internet. Many allege that nearby American attack submarines sank the Kursk with Mark 48 torpedoes. While technically possible (in absence of the evidence of an internal torpedo explosion) there is no remotely plausible motive for such an attack during a period of good U.S.-Russian relations. Why attack the Kursk? Why was only the Kursk sunk, and not the Kuznetsov and Pyotr Velikiy? Why would the Russian government cover up the attack? In the end, the sinking of the Kursk appears to have been caused by a simple, freak accident of chemistry. The tragedy only reinforces how dangerous life aboard a submarine really is, and how important safety is in the underwater realm. Finally, the rush to conspiracy is a warning that, had this incident occurred during a genuine crisis, such an accident could cause a dangerous escalation that could lead to war. In 2000, a Russian submarine designed to sink aircraft carriers became a victim of its own arsenal. The cruise-missile submarine Kursk suffered a massive explosion and sank after an onboard torpedo accidentally detonated. The accident was the worst naval disaster suffered by post–Cold War Russia. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #2 Good follow-on from yesterday's story of WWII munitions and the use of Hydrogen Peroxide as a fuel oxidizer. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-06-01 09:24 |
| #1 simple, freak accident of chemistry Freak accident?! More like the very predictable result of using a very reactive chemical in an environment that begs for trouble as time goes on. But maybe I'm too much of a stickler for honesty. |
| Posted by: gorb 2017-06-01 01:52 |