Tragedy arises from regulations violations
( 2003-09-18 16:19) (PLA Daily)
On August 30, 2003, a Russian nuclear-powered submarine K-159 sank in the
Barents Sea, which killed 9 people of the 10-member crew on board. Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov arrived at the accident site on the day when the
disaster happened.
After initial investigation, he declared seriously that it was absolutely
caused by human negligence and non-compliance with operational rules and that
every safety operational measure was violated during the journey.
Weapons, especially high-tech ones, have intricate internal systems and
mutual dependent integrated efficiency system, whose operations must observe
start-up processes. In order to ensure the normal, safe use of weapons and their
functional performance, all weapons have been given a set of scientific, strict
rules and regulations to be observed. Their operators have to abide by them by
the book if these weapons are to function normally and safely. If regulations
are violated, the best results are the loss of weapons' functionality and the
worst are the death of their operators themselves and the destruction of the
weapons. In times of war, the consequence can be much more serious. On the night
of October 24, 1944 during the World War II, a U.S. submarine found a Japanese
transport fleet. Its captain made an immediate decision to torpedo the fleet.
Unfortunately, the fired torpedo made a U-turn soon after it was launched and
hit the submarine itself, which sunk the submarine and killed most of the
crewmembers on board. According to investigations and analyses after the end of
the World War II, mechanical failures caused by operational problems resulted in
the torpedo hitting the submarine itself.
Non-compliance with regulations and technical specifications, which resulted
in vehicle destruction and human casualties, are apparently caused by accidental
negligence of operation and disrespect of science. Actually, it is an inevitable
result of loose implementation of rules and regulations. As an important part of
military regulatory systems, operational guidelines and specifications governing
the use of weapons are a result of summarizing experimental and practical
experience and must be obeyed. Any negligence, indiscretion or violation making
a mockery of military rules and regulations will cause unthinkable tragic
consequences.
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