[Virginia Ridgerunner]

And the Russians think that they can successfully challeneg the U.S. Navy on the high seas again with this kind of shoddy construction and quality control of their submarine fleet?

[GAB-1955]

Wait until the Venezuelans start running Russian equipment.

[kenmcg]

Incompetency in the Russkie Navy!!!

[John123]

Forbes had an interesting article a month ago... Russia is a 3rd world country with 1st world aspirations...

[Doohickey]

Yikes. This is why we don't have things that can automatically spew an atmospheric contaminant. Even the range hood used only PKP charged with CO2.

Ping to the Steely-Eyed Killers of the Deep

[G8 Diplomat]

It was Russia's worst naval accident since torpedo explosions sank another nuclear-powered submarine, the Kursk

To quote Jeffrey Pelt in The Hunt for Red October, "You've lost another submarine?"

[Proud_USA_Republican]

When the Kursk sank due to a newly designed torpedo exploding while in its launch tube, the russians tried to claim that it sank because an american submarine rammed into it.
I’m sure they will claim the americans planted the poison or some other crap.

[gandalftb]

They were likely referring to Freon 13B1, AKA Halon 1301. Freon is a broad family of primarily refrigerant halogen gases.

Halogen stops fires by interfering with the electrical transfer between fuel and oxygen, combustion does not occur because oxidation stops. If we breathe it, oxidation stops in our lungs also.

There is plenty of oxygen to breathe, it simply won't transfer to blood and you pass out quickly and will die if the Halon doesn't dissipate to below 5-7% levels within a few minutes.

All halon systems must have substantial evacuation warnings, strobes and horns. Filter-type masks are useless, only oxygen-supplied masks will work. Also, you flood single compartments only, as needed. A manual "deadman switch" has to be provided in each compartment that the operator holds down, preventing discharge, unless released.

The Russians are notorious for cutting corners, saving money, having untrained draftees that won't make critical choices.

[RightWhale]

Halon fire systems are dangerous to those who cannot leave the area. Same for carbon tet.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[dr_who]

Makes you wonder how much Russia really learned from over a half century of communism. What else could explain this? Of course, Europe doesn’t learn very quickly, either.

[TopQuark]

It depends on the definition of success. Making NY uninhabitable for 20,000 years can be considered an effective attack, doesn’t it?

[arrogantsob]

Wonder if that sub was shadowing the Ohio which has been in Japan lately?

[DBrow]

Don't worry- this can't happen here.

We BANNED fire suppression systems using Halon because of the damage to the ozone layer.

If one of OUR subs or tanks or radio shelters has a fire, it burns!

[DBrow]

http://www.drj.com/articles/sum98/kea.htm

http://www.epa.gov/EPA-AIR/1998/March/Day-05/a5720.htm

[demshateGod]

No tears from me. Russians are really arrogant.

[razorback-bert]

I toured the Russian sub at San Diego and immediately thought. This sub was built to shot once and die.