German submarine runs aground after leaving port in Norway

Der Spiegel reports that a German Navy submarine ran aground in Norwegian waters shortly after it left port on Tuesday, May 14.

The Type 212 submarine U-36 made contact with the seafloor as it sailed out of the Royal Norwegian Navy base at Haakonsvern, the German Navy confirmed one day after the incident took place.

Divers have carried out an inspection of the hull using video cameras. The resulting footage is still being assessed by senior German officials to determine whether the submarine will be permitted to sail anytime soon.

U-36 is currently in Norway in the final weeks of a five-month-long training deployment that began in January.

This is the second grounding of a German Navy Type 212 submarine in Norwegian waters after an incident wherein U-35 suffered a damaged rudder during deep water tests off Kristiansand in October 2017.