What You Need to Know: In the early 2000s, the USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723), a U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, collided with the Norwegian tanker Norman Lady near Gibraltar. The submarine was ascending to periscope depth when it bumped into the liquid natural gas tanker.

-Initially, communication could not be established, but the shipping company later confirmed the collision. Fortunately, there were no injuries or oil leaks.

-The USS Oklahoma City sustained damage to its radar mast and periscope and underwent repairs in Sardinia. The submarine's commanding officer was relieved of duty following the incident. The USS Oklahoma continued to serve until its decommissioning in 2022.

U.S. Navy Attack Submarine USS Oklahoma City Collides With Oil Tanker

When the Norwegian tanker Norman Lady collided with an unidentified object back in the early 2000s, the culprit was certainly not suspected to be a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered fast attack submarine. However, this is exactly what happened. USS Oklahoma City was rising to periscope depth near Gibraltar when it bumped the liquid natural gas tanker. 

Crew members initially could not establish radio contact with the vessel, but shipping company Leif Hoegh & Co. of Oslo, Norway soon confirmed the Norman Lady was indeed the submerged object. The company’s president, Thor Joergen Guttormsen, told Reuters at the time that he believed there was a, “strong likelihood” that the tanker collided with the submarine. 

“We can’t be certain; we are awaiting a report from the U.S. authorities,” Guttormsen stated. The president was indeed correct and thankfully, no oil leak or injuries resulted from the incident. 

An Overview of USS Oklahoma City

USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723) represented the second ship in the U.S. Navy to be named for Oklahoma City when she launched in the mid-1980s. Manufacturer Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company was contracted by the service to develop the Los Angeles-class submarine. Like her sister ships, Oklahoma City was designed as a successor to the Sturgeon class. These larger vessels were equipped with enhanced speed and stealth, enabling the class to better perform surface warfare, undersea warfare, mining operations, reconnaissance, and carrier battle group support. 

In the mid-1970s, the lead ship of the class USS Los Angeles was constructed, followed by Baton Rouge, Philadelphia, Memphis, Omaha, Cincinnati, Groton, Birmingham, New York City, Indianapolis, Bremerton, Jacksonville, Dallas, La Jolla, Phoenix, Boston, Baltimore, Corpus Christi, Albuquerque, Portsmouth, Minneapolis, Hyman G. Rickover, Augusta, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Norfolk, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Olympia and Honolulu. 

Each Los Angeles-class ship measured 362 feet in length and displaced roughly 7,000 pounds when submerged. Its nuclear power source enabled each vessel to operate at extremely low depths and only required refueling once every three decades. 

In terms of armament power, Oklahoma City and the other Los Angeles-class ships pack a punch. Each of these submarines is fitted with a vertical launch missile system with twelve tubes. The premiere submarines were constructed with the Raytheon AN/BYG-1 Combat Control Systems and were later replaced with the Raytheon CCS Mark 2 combat data system. 

The Aftermath of the Collision

While the Lady Norman oil tanker did not sustain damages in the Gibraltar collision, the USS Oklahoma City was not as lucky. The Los Angeles-class submarine suffered damage to her radar mast on the sail section and to one of her periscopes. Following the collision, Oklahoma sailed to Sardinia to undergo minor repairs. Ultimately, the submarine’s commanding officer was relieved from duty in addition to three more crew members down the line. 

USS Oklahoma City would continue to serve the Navy honorably following the Norman Lady collision up until her decommissioning in 2022. 

About the Author: Maya Carlin, Defense Expert   

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.  

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