A 22-year-old Norwegian fisherman has just had an unusual experience when the fishing nets from their boat they got tangled with the propeller of the American nuclear-powered submarine USS Virginia. The incident took place in the Malange Fjord, where Harald Engen was delivering his halibut catch, similar to sole. However, his day became chaotic when he realized that the propeller of a submarine had entangled his fishing nets, dragging his boat approximately two nautical miles out to sea.
The USS Virginia, which was leaving the port of Tromsø at the time, was being escorted by the Norwegian Coast Guard. The latter reported that it was forced to intervene to cut the nets and free Engen’s boat from the submarine, an unusual procedure in Norwegian waters, accustomed to dealing with commercial navigation on a regular basis.
Damage compensation
“I know that other ships can pass over fishing nets, but no one expected it to be a submarine,” Engen commented in an interview with the Barents Observerwho, although he did not seem angry about the situation, decided to contact the Coast Guard to request compensation for damaged equipment. “The net is at the bottom of the sea and we will probably never find it again,” he lamented.
In this context, Lieutenant Pierson Hawkinsspokesperson for the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet, confirmed the incident to Business Insider, however, He refused to reveal the identity of the submarine involved. According to Hawkins, there were no injuries during the episode and a formal investigation is underway. When asked about compensation, he explained that the US Navy has a “standard process to cover damage to civilian property in the event of liability” on its part.
Although the specific reasons for the presence of the USS Virginia in the area have not yet been clarified, Norwegian media indicate that it could be related to the surveillance on Russian naval activitygiven the imminent geopolitical context in the region. “The United States is an Arctic nation with important security interests in the region,” noted Hawkins, highlighting the value of Norwegian support in deterrence and defense operations.
According to international media, tensions in northern Europe have increased in recent months, US naval deployments intensifying in this Arctic area. In June, the USS Tennessee and USS Normandy were sent to the Norwegian Sea in response to increasing Russian activities.
Furthermore, they announced joint naval exercises with the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier flotilla, confirming the close security cooperation between the United States and Norway.
This is Svalbard, where Russia parks its powerful nuclear fleet
In Svalbard there is a real danger of encountering polar bears, warns the official website of the Arctic tourist destination. But it is more than just a place that projects an inhospitable polar image to us. Behind this small Norwegian area There is a geopolitical interest from Russia, China and NATO itself. It was recently for sale and the Asian giant wanted to buy it, but everything has stopped due to fear of the West.
The Norwegian government has blocked a plan to sell the last piece of privately owned land in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, the Sore Fagerfjor lands, to avoid its acquisition by China. We are talking about a hidden treasure in the Arctic where Russia fishes and where the Asian giant has its sights set.
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