Report: Chinese sub hits destroyer sonar array - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Report: Chinese sub hits destroyer sonar array

A Chinese submarine struck a sonar array being towed by the destroyer John S. McCain on Friday in Subic Bay, off the coast of the Philippines, CNN reported Friday.

An unnamed U.S. military official told the network that he believed the collision was “inadvertent.”

A Philippine navy official told Agence France-Presse that the Philippines had no knowledge of the incident.

The U.S. and Chinese navies have had previous encounters at sea this year. In March, China accused a U.S. mapping ship of acting illegally while sailing in the South China Sea. U.S. officials said Chinese ships that confronted the USNS Impeccable acted recklessly.