Argentinian navy detects noises that could be signal from missing sub
By John Kirby, Ana Melgar and Joe Sterling, CNN
Updated 1:06 PM ET, Mon November 20, 2017
(CNN)Argentina's navy on Monday picked up noises that could be a distress signal from the crew of a missing submarine and said the sub's captain reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system before it disappeared.
The sonar systems of two ships detected noises sounding like tools being banged against the hull of a submarine, according to a senior US Navy official familiar with the Navy's assistance in the search for the Argentinian vessel.
The official said that crews of submarines in distress bang on the vessel's hull to alert passing ships to their location. The missing submarine -- ARA San Juan -- has a crew of 44.
The Argentinian navy was able to fix the rough location of the sounds the two ships picked up and is now concentrating its search in an area of 35 square nautical miles approximately 330 miles off the coast of Argentina, the official said.
The submarine was heading from a base in southern Argentina's Tierra del Fuego archipelago to its home port in Mar del Plata. It was scheduled to arrive there Sunday.
'Failure' reported in the vessel's battery system
The vessel's captain reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system shortly before it disappeared last week, the country's Navy spokesman Gabriel Galeazzi said Monday.
After he reported the sub had experienced a "short circuit," he was told to "change course and return to Mar del Plata," said Galeazzi.
Argentina's missing submarine: What we know
Argentina's missing submarine: What we know
This type of problem is considered routine and the vessel's crew was reported safe, he added.
The Argentinian navy had one more communication with the captain before the sub went missing, said Galeazzi. The navy did not give details of the content of that final communication.
On Saturday, seven reported communication attempts were initially believed to originate from the San Juan -- but on Monday officials said the radio calls had not come from the missing sub.
The last confirmed contact with the submarine was Wednesday, the Argentinian navy said.
The US official said that the waters of the Atlantic Ocean where the sounds originated are extremely deep. The official stressed that search efforts thus far have yet to locate the submarine.
The Argentinian military has also been working with a US company that specializes in satellite communication to determine the location of the submarine.
The search area, off the Patagonia coast, is notorious for strong storms.
Clock is ticking
While submarines of this size and class can stay at sea for around a month, that doesn't mean they can spend 30 days underwater.
"It's dependent upon the last time they actually recharged their batteries, how long ago they refreshed the air, what's inside the submarine. We just don't know," said William Craig Reed, a former US Navy diver and submariner.
If it has sunk but is still intact, the crew will have about a week to 10 days of oxygen, Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University said.
When in operation the sub could travel submerged around 50 meters (165 feet) below the surface, Layton said.
It would come near the surface to "snort" -- replenish its oxygen, recharge the batteries by using the diesel engines and send radio signals -- around once every 24 hours.
CNN's military and diplomatic analyst John Kirby reported in Washington. CNN's Joe Sterling reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Euan McKirdy, Natalie Gallon and Susannan Cullinane contributed to this report.
By John Kirby, Ana Melgar and Joe Sterling, CNN
Updated 1:06 PM ET, Mon November 20, 2017
(CNN)Argentina's navy on Monday picked up noises that could be a distress signal from the crew of a missing submarine and said the sub's captain reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system before it disappeared.
The sonar systems of two ships detected noises sounding like tools being banged against the hull of a submarine, according to a senior US Navy official familiar with the Navy's assistance in the search for the Argentinian vessel.
The official said that crews of submarines in distress bang on the vessel's hull to alert passing ships to their location. The missing submarine -- ARA San Juan -- has a crew of 44.
The Argentinian navy was able to fix the rough location of the sounds the two ships picked up and is now concentrating its search in an area of 35 square nautical miles approximately 330 miles off the coast of Argentina, the official said.
The submarine was heading from a base in southern Argentina's Tierra del Fuego archipelago to its home port in Mar del Plata. It was scheduled to arrive there Sunday.
'Failure' reported in the vessel's battery system
The vessel's captain reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system shortly before it disappeared last week, the country's Navy spokesman Gabriel Galeazzi said Monday.
After he reported the sub had experienced a "short circuit," he was told to "change course and return to Mar del Plata," said Galeazzi.
Argentina's missing submarine: What we know
Argentina's missing submarine: What we know
This type of problem is considered routine and the vessel's crew was reported safe, he added.
The Argentinian navy had one more communication with the captain before the sub went missing, said Galeazzi. The navy did not give details of the content of that final communication.
On Saturday, seven reported communication attempts were initially believed to originate from the San Juan -- but on Monday officials said the radio calls had not come from the missing sub.
The last confirmed contact with the submarine was Wednesday, the Argentinian navy said.
The US official said that the waters of the Atlantic Ocean where the sounds originated are extremely deep. The official stressed that search efforts thus far have yet to locate the submarine.
The Argentinian military has also been working with a US company that specializes in satellite communication to determine the location of the submarine.
The search area, off the Patagonia coast, is notorious for strong storms.
Clock is ticking
While submarines of this size and class can stay at sea for around a month, that doesn't mean they can spend 30 days underwater.
"It's dependent upon the last time they actually recharged their batteries, how long ago they refreshed the air, what's inside the submarine. We just don't know," said William Craig Reed, a former US Navy diver and submariner.
If it has sunk but is still intact, the crew will have about a week to 10 days of oxygen, Peter Layton, a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University said.
When in operation the sub could travel submerged around 50 meters (165 feet) below the surface, Layton said.
It would come near the surface to "snort" -- replenish its oxygen, recharge the batteries by using the diesel engines and send radio signals -- around once every 24 hours.
CNN's military and diplomatic analyst John Kirby reported in Washington. CNN's Joe Sterling reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Euan McKirdy, Natalie Gallon and Susannan Cullinane contributed to this report.