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Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Submarine USS Connecticut Severely Damaged In Pacific Crash To Return To Service In 2026
The USS Connecticut, one of the U.S. Navy's prized Seawolf class nuclear attack submarines, is set to finally return to service late next year. The Navy previously indicated it could rejoin the fleet this fall. Connecticut is currently at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington State for repairs and other work after suffering major damage, particularly to its bow, from a collision with an underwater seamount in the South China Sea in 2021. USS Connecticut hit the seamount in October 2021, and limped first to Guam, and then to San Diego in southern California, before making its way north to the Puget Sound area. A subsequent Navy investigation into the incident highlighted a weak command environment and lax attitudes toward the performance of key tasks as putting the submarine on a path to the accident, which you can read about in more detail here. The submarine's Commanding Officer Cmdr. Cameron Aljilani, Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Cashin, and Chief of the Boat Master Chief Sonar Technician Cory Rodgers were relieved of duty following the mishap. 'USS Connecticut (SSN 22) is in Dry Dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) in Bremerton, Washington, undergoing an Extended Docking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA), which is a major maintenance availability that all submarines undergo during their maintenance life cycle,' a Navy spokesperson told TWZ last week. 'The damage USS Connecticut sustained in October 2021 is also being repaired during this EDSRA. Connecticut is expected to return to service in late 2026. PSNS & IMF and Naval Sea Systems Command are continuing to prioritize investments in materiel, infrastructure, and personnel to meet the needs of the fleet.' The EDSRA formally began in February 2023. The following month, the Navy told Naval News that the availability was 'notionally sized at 31 months duration,' which would have had Connecticut returning to service in September 2025. The estimated cost of the repairs is unknown. Congress approved an initial trench of $40 million for 'emergency repairs' and an additional $10 million for a new bow dome in 2021, but this is just a small part of the full expected price tag. Why the repairs are taking longer than initially expected is unclear. As TWZ wrote back in 2023 after the Navy released pictures of Connecticut docking at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard: 'As for the USS Connecticut, as the images show, her state remains relatively the same, at least in terms of what is visible, compared to when she arrived over a year and a half ago. Her sonar dome is still missing and, clearly, the boat has been idle for some time, with huge sections of its anechoic coating missing from its sail.' 'Major repairs to the submarine's bow, sonar, and other underside structure components will be challenging as the Seawolf class is long out of production. On top of that, just three boats were ever built, with one being a heavily modified sub-type in its own right, the highly secretive USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23). In the past, similar damage has been fixed by leveraging spare parts and entire sections of decommissioned submarines of the same class. That simply is not an option in this case.' The small size of the Seawolf class fleet is a byproduct of post-Cold War U.S. defense spending drawdowns. The truncated purchase plan made each one extremely expensive – approximately $3.1 billion apiece in 1983, or nearly $9.4 billion in 2025 dollars – and they remain the most costly attack submarines ever built. Given the advanced capabilities the boats offer, the Navy utilizes them for a variety of specialized tasks, for which they are in very high demand. The aforementioned USS Jimmy Carter is a distinct subtype of the design further optimized for underwater espionage missions, and features a 100-foot-long Multi-Mission Platform (MMP) hull extension, which you can read more about here. The Navy highlighted the challenges of sustaining the class in its 2025 Fiscal Year budget request, in which it asked for an unspecified amount of funding to purchase a spare Seawolf bow dome to hedge against an incident like this happening again in the future. 'The Seawolf Class submarines sustainment strategy did not include the provisioning of replacement bow domes; therefore, no replacement bow domes for these in-service submarines are within the Navy's inventory,' the budget documents explained. 'This program would procure one Seawolf Class bow dome for use in the event replacement is required. Funds in FY25 are to purchase a bow dome which has a three plus year lead time.' With the EDRSA, the Navy is also taking the opportunity to conduct a deep overhaul of USS Connecticut, which could include the integration of various upgrades. The Navy's 2026 Fiscal Year budget request puts additional emphasis on getting Connecticut finished before the end of next year. USS Seawolf is due to start its own lengthy maintenance availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard next April and is scheduled to then return to service in June 2029, according to the budget documents. For at least a time, the Navy now looks set to have just one Seawolf class submarine, the USS Jimmy Carter, operational. It is worth noting here that the Navy continues to struggle with completing major maintenance availabilities for submarines and surface warships on time, despite efforts to reverse that trend, in large part due to shipyard capacity and related workforce issues. This reflects a broader and ever-more worrisome disparity between the United States and its chief global competitor, China, when it comes to naval shipbuilding. The Navy's work toward a next-generation nuclear attack submarine, or SSN(X), underway since at least 2018 and seen in part as a successor to the Seawolf class, has also been pushed back. The service announced last year that the expected timetable for the start of production of those new boats had shifted to the right from the mid-to-late 2030s to the early 2040s. That schedule remains unchanged in the Navy's 2026 Fiscal Year budget request, which is seeking nearly $623 million in additional funding for the SSN(X) program. All of this further stresses the importance of getting Connecticut back in service regardless of the costs involved, and doing so as quickly as possible. If the current schedule holds, the submarine will be back in service roughly five years after the collision in the Pacific. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mom of 3 Agrees to Kinship Foster Twin Nephews with Special Needs 9 Years After Taking in Their Brother (Exclusive)
Cassey and her husband have three biological children — ages 15, 16 and 18 They are also parents to her 9-year-old nephew, whom they began kinship fostering at 2 weeks old In 2021, the couple got the call that Cassey's sister had welcomed not one, but two baby boys, and took the chance on expanding their family once moreA woman who felt her family was complete opened her heart to kinship adoption for a second time. Cassey Ashby, on TikTok @woundedfam, had already experienced kinship fostering with her sister's son, now 9, since the little boy was two weeks old. In addition to her own three biological children, the family of six felt they'd hit their stride when they got news of two more babies on the way. "We were just getting into the time when he could make his own meals and is able to be more independent. My husband and I model homes for a living. I was focusing on work and the family, and then the twins came along." The couple, together for 20 years, first learned that Cassey's sister would welcome twins just weeks before they were born. At the time, they knew of a pregnancy, but not the fact that there were twins. "We weren't going to take them if the state had called us. But then, I guess... I felt like my heart opened up whenever I was asked, and I knew that's what I was supposed to do." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The twins initially went into state custody before Cassey got the call. With three teens and guardianship of her nephew, the family knew what was ahead would be "really hard." "Twins are extremely hard. You have two diaper changes, two bottles. There's always something else that's needed. Sleeping through the night was very hard. We were waking up every two hours, feeding two babies. That was definitely an adjustment from having single kids. It was a huge adjustment going to twins pretty much overnight." Cassey was proud to share that the four kids all reacted positively and were "very welcoming" to the two new additions. "My 15-year-old, she's like... I call her a second mom. She's very loving towards babies. She loves kids. Naturally, she helped out a lot, and she just loves being around them all the time." Cassey notes the family doesn't have a village around them, but always finds ways to step up for each other. "I don't have a lot of extended family just because of substance issues and stuff. We don't have a lot of family around us. [The twins] became part of our family very quickly." The family also had to adapt to caring for medically complex kids. The twin boys, Benjamin and Braxton, each live with medical conditions that would require learning and adjustments for everyone. "Benjamin had a brain injury at birth. I did not know that until later on because I wasn't really involved in any of the hospital procedures," Cassey explains, noting that her sister didn't receive prenatal care during the pregnancy. "Around six months, I noticed that he was having some symptoms that looked similar to cerebral palsy. He would keep his hands clenched, and his twin started to really pass him on milestones. That was a big indicator. His twin had started to roll and crawl and Benjamin was... he couldn't even grab toys, so it was pretty clear," she continued. Benjamin was officially diagnosed with cerebral palsy and microcephaly at 6 months, at which point Cassey and her husband were "thrown into therapies and medical appointments." "That was definitely a huge adjustment. I've never taken care of anybody with special needs. I've never really grew up around anybody who had special needs. I didn't even have to keep a calendar before the twins because I had so few appointments." As they juggled anywhere from six to eight appointments for Benjamin in a week, they realized that Braxton was facing his own struggles. Further investigation would lead to an autism diagnosis. "Our living room went from teenagers' stuff everywhere to medical equipment," Cassey says. She gives credit to her husband for never being overwhelmed by the many changes that came their way. "We both realized that with Benjamin, he's going to need a lifetime of care. I'm grateful my husband has always supported me. He's very loving and he's on the same page [about what we face]." Cassey and her husband have since adopted the twins. The little boys are now toddlers — 2½ year olds who are curious about the world around them. "Seeing Benjamin and how happy he is, I think it just makes it all worth it. He's brought so much happiness into our lives. Braxton is running around everywhere. He's very active, so we're trying to balance what each needs in their toddler years." Searching to add to her village on her own terms, Cassey began sharing the family's story on TikTok in hopes of finding others on their kinship journey. "I've found from my videos that I never realized so many families were taking care of relatives with special needs. And that's my goal online, to help people not feel alone and know there are millions of others out there," she says. "There is an online community filled with supportive people, even if we don't have people around us in real life who are supporting us." "The same thing with the special needs community. When I found out about the twins' diagnosis, especially Benjamin's, the first feeling that most special needs families feel when they get a diagnosis is that they feel alone. I came online, and I started sharing my story and Benjamin's story. We found a huge community of people that were in similar situations," Casey continues. "By documenting, we've been able to raise funds for Benjamin's next intensive. We have met a lot of good people who have helped us on our journey. By sharing Benjamin's journey, we've been able to help other people." At his first intensive, which is a therapy program aimed at progressing a child's motor skills and functional abilities, Cassey says Benjamin "made the most progress that he's made in the past two years" during the January session. "After doing that intensive, it sparked something in me, and I realized that he was going to be capable of so much if he was just given the opportunities. I went online, and we have been doing weekly goals to meet towards our total goal, but the idea is we are going to blog the experience. We have an intensive set up for September, and we're going to blog the experience so people can see the progress that he's making and all of that," she shares. "I think it helps to see the impact that they're making on his life. It's really nice knowing that there's just strangers out there that are going to help just by contributing donations and stuff, they're going to help his quality of life. It means a lot to us that people are willing to do that." Cassey herself has been inspired by this journey to return to school to become a physical therapist assistant. It's just one example of the "many blessings" that have come from embracing kinship custody and sharing their story. "My biggest hope and my goal is that they are given every opportunity that they can. Braxton, he's not as severe. He has autism, and he does require more needs. But with Benjamin, this is something that we're going to be doing. We're going to be advocating for him pretty much for life," she notes. "My biggest thing is I just want them to be happy. That's the biggest goal, I want them to be happy and to be given every opportunity available to them." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NORAD sends fighter plane after latest unauthorized flight over Kerrville floods
The Brief Airspace over parts of Texas has been closed since the deadly July 4 floods. After several violations, NORAD dispatched an F-16 to the area Friday. There's no info yet on the offending pilot or mission. KERRVILLE, Texas - After the deadly Texas floods earlier this month, the FAA moved quickly to restrict the airspace in the area so that first responders searching for victims would not be hampered by drones, news helicopters, and other craft. But NORAD, the military division charged with keeping America's airspace, says that they had to send a fighter plane to the skies over Texas after civilian aircraft repeatedly violated a temporary no-fly zone. What we know The Air Force told FOX Television Stations that an unspecified civilian aircraft was intercepted for violating the no-fly zone and safely escorted out of the area Friday afternoon "by NORAD F-16 aircraft." The civilian aircraft was flying at relatively low altitude, between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. "This intercept, combined with yet another TFR violation, has resulted in a total of five unauthorized incursions into restricted airspace," the Air Force statement noted. What we don't know It's not clear what type of aircraft violation prompted the military intervention, what that craft's mission was, or what consequences – if any – that pilot may be facing. NORAD directed further questions to the FAA, which did not respond to a request from FOX Television Stations for more information. Dig deeper "TFR" stands for "temporary flight restriction," which is an order from the FAA that generally restricts non-governmental flights in a small area. They are usually issued for special events or security situations; presidential travel is one of the most common reasons. A collision between a privately-owned drone and a rescue helicopter over Kerrville back on July 7 highlighted the need for such orders. The collision forced the helicopter to make an emergency landing and took it out of service. A similar incident grounded a critical firefighting aircraft during the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year. What you can do Private pilots and drone operators should know to check the FAA's website for NOTAMs – "notices to airmen" that warn about TFRs and other hazards – before they take to the skies. A map of current TFRs is also available. The backstory Catastrophically heavy rain led to deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River early on July 4. Campsites and communities were swept away; more than 170 people are still considered missing while at least 132 – including dozens of children – are dead. Rain returned to the area around Kerrville on Sunday, pausing efforts to find more victims. Some volunteers were asked to evacuate for their own safety amid the renewed threat of flooding. The Source Information in this report came from NORAD, the FAA, and the City of Kerrville, with background from FOX 7 in Austin. Additional details from the Air Force were added later. This story was reported from Tampa, Fla.
