Submarines on collision course in busy sea

As submarines increasingly become the clandestine weapon of choice in the Asia-Pacific, an ­admiral from the US Pacific Fleet says regional nations must tell each other where their boats are operating or risk a deadly underwater collision.

The head of the US Pacific Command’s submarine force, Rear Admiral Phillip G. Sawyer, told a conference in Canberra yesterday the rapidly increasing number of submarines had created a greater chance of an underwater crash.

Nations operating submarines must also much better prepare themselves to rescue the crews from sunken boats, Rear Admiral Sawyer told the Australian Strategic Policy Institute submarine conference.

Read more