A Norwegian frigate that collided with a Maltese tanker in a fjord in western Norway last week was almost entirely submerged on Tuesday after cables holding it in place broke.

"The vessel is now lying immobile in deeper water," the head of the Navy's rescue operation, Havard Mathiesen, told reporters.

A modern ship weighing around 5,000 tonnes, the KNM Helge Ingstad took on water after colliding with the Maltese oil tanker early Thursday in the Hjeltefjord near Bergen.

The accident, the cause of which has yet to be determined, injured eight of the 137 people on board the frigate, which was returning from NATO's Trident Juncture 18 exercises.

The tanker, the Sola TS, suffered only minor damage.

The KNM Helge Ingstad had until Tuesday been partially submerged as it rested on underwater rocks, which its crew had driven it up on in order to try to prevent the ship from sinking.

But the cables holding it in place broke overnight Monday to Tuesday, and the ship sank further under the water.

Only the top of its mast and a small part of its stern were visible above water on Tuesday, television footage showed.

The Norwegian Navy said it was now considering ways to raise the vessel, the military's chief of staff, Admiral Nils Andreas Stensones, said.

"It's very hard for a navy to lose a vessel," he said.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Coastal Administration said it had cleaned up some 13 cubic meters of diesel that spilled in the accident.

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Bath Iron Works starts construction of USS Patrick Gallagher
Washington (UPI) Nov 12, 2018
Construction of DDG 127, to be christened the USS Patrick Gallagher, has started at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard located in Maine. U.S. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, made the initial cut to the first steel plate for the ship during a ceremony Friday in the BIW fabrication shop, which included the presence of workers and Navy officials. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer will be named for Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Patrick Gallagher, who received the Navy Cross f ... read more