Weekly Submarine Tidbits and Quote of the Week (31 MAY 16)

Submarine Quote of the Week

"I would submit that a country that has the largest maritime estate in the world, and that has interests well beyond our borders and our continent, should have a tool in its toolbox that can declare exclusive control over a piece of water at a time and place of its choosing, and that's what a submarine gives you."  - Vice-Admiral Mark Norman,  Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)  source

Submarine curiousities new to the public's attention  ...

(1)

Report: China Will Send Submarines Armed with Nuclear Missiles to the Pacific
Last week, The Guardian reported how China revealed its plans on releasing an underwater vessel that carries nuclear-powered missiles in the Pacific Ocean.

While The Guardian appears to be convinced that China could really deploy an underwater vessel with a weapon of mass destruction, there are still some who see it to be far from possible, saying that the country's submarine capabilities have been grossly exaggerated.

"It seems that various news media reports and official statements continue to exaggerate or preempt the operational capability of the Chinese submarine force," the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) said in a report.  source 

 (2)

Background:  ILLEGAL RETENTION OF CLASSIFIED NUCLEAR SYSTEMS PHOTOS from USS Alexandria (SSN-757) by nuc Machinest Mate ex-submariner (later a First Class Petty Officer assigned to the Naval Support Activity Base in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)

UPDATE:  Navy sailor pleads guilty to espionage for submarine photos 
The 29-year-old petty officer first class, Kristian Saucier, admitted to taking cellphone photos of instruments and equipment within the submarine on three separate occasions in 2009, the Justice Department announced. ...Sentencing is scheduled for August. Saucier faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  

Will this delayed case be compared to the FBI's investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s alleged mishandling of highly classified information during her time in office as some have suggested?  Unlikely, in M.E.'s opinion.

Submarines are always silent and strange.