Some service members may be completely unaware that thousands have died, entire countries have shut their borders, and businesses have closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Those who serve on nuclear submarines in the depths of the world’s oceans might not hear about the extraordinary situation until they emerge after months of isolation underwater, said retired French Adm. Dominique Salles.
Salles, who commanded the French ballistic submarine squadron from 2003-06, told the Associated Press that information about what is going on above the surface is of no concern to submariners who must completely focus on their military duties.
“They won’t know,” Salles said. “The boys need to be completely available for their mission.”
France’s entire country was locked down on March 17, and citizens were given orders not to leave their homes. The French government will not say whether any submarines left harbor prior to the shutdown. French submarine missions typically last from 60 to 70 days, with crews of more than 100 on board.
“Those who are at sea don’t need this information,” Salles said. “The commander, I think, is doubtless informed about what is happening. I don’t think he’ll have all the details.”
If a submarine left for a 60-day mission on Feb. 1, the crew would have last heard that about a half-dozen people in France were infected with COVID-19 as they departed. Emerging on Wednesday, submariners would learn that more than 45,000 people are now infected there, with more than 3,030 deaths.
“They won’t have experienced the crisis as we did, with a bit of fear, the lockdown. So for them, it will be quite a surprise. They will learn the history, but it will be a history that is related to them,” said Chief Dr. Gabriel, who wished to be identified only by his rank and first name.
“All events that could affect or change the morale of the crew members are kept from them,” he added.
Salles said the future will be difficult for submariners who are told to go on a mission now that the pandemic has taken hold of Europe because they won’t be able to receive news of their families. The former commander said that when his father died, he wasn’t told until he finished his mission.
“No matter how serious an event is, there is nothing a submariner can do about it. And since he cannot do anything, better that he know nothing,” Salles said. “They know that they won’t know and accept it. It’s part of our deal.”
France has four ballistic submarines that are armed with 16 missiles, each of which can carry six nuclear warheads.
Other submarines across the world have already been affected by the pandemic. A Russian submarine was reportedly quarantined in a precautionary measure after a civilian who had been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 visited the vessel.
A Dutch submarine was also called back to base after eight of the crew members tested positive for the virus.
Worldwide, there have been more than 766,000 COVID-19 infections, about 160,000 recoveries, and more than 36,800 deaths, according to the latest reading by the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
