54 Years Ago...

The USS Thresher Sank.   She was the first nuclear powered submarine lost and not due enemy action.  Out of her lost and due to the investigation, the US Navy created and implemented the SUBSAFE program.

With the SUBSAFE Program, the US Navy has not lost a single boat certified SUBSAFE.  The USS Scorpion was not certified SUBSAFE.

The program IS expensive and can slow down the progress of maintenance, but how much does it cost to replace the vessel and the trained crew members?  What is the cost to the family members left behind?  Compared to these costs, the cost of the SUBSAFE program is minimal.

Right Click this link and save as.  Read and understand the Mentality of the SUBSAFE program.

Every time the crews submerge their boats, they’re risking their lives.  With the SUBSAFE program and the certifications of the ships for sea, they can rest assured that the maintenance and retest were performed correctly, and there is little risk in submerging.

With the exception of the USS Scorpion, whose cause of loss is still truly unknown, the US Submarine force has been operating safely for 54 years.  Other nations, not so much.