Torpedo Leaks Like Kursk’s Found on Other Subs
Torpedo propellant leaks similar to the one that sparked the explosion and sinking of the Kursk have been found on other Northern Fleet submarines, one of many examples of sloppiness revealed by an investigation into the August 2000 tragedy.
The prosecutor general’s probe into the catastrophe that killed the Kursk’s 118-man crew was detailed in a state newspaper Thursday.
Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov closed the books on the accident last month, saying no one was to blame. The blast was caused by highly volatile hydrogen peroxide seeping from cracks in a torpedo.
That torpedo was built in Kazakhstan in 1990. Investigators have determined that some of its components had been used from one to six years beyond their designated service life, and they cited an absence of data about the condition of the rubber gaskets.
The prosecutors said a check of other Russian submarines in 2000 and 2001 revealed the use of bad gaskets, which resulted in leaks from torpedo tanks, the paper said.
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