Norwegian Fishermen Snag USS Virginia: How a 7,800-Tonne U.S. Attack Submarine Became Entangled in Coastal Nets

In mid-November 2024, a routine halibut trawl off Tromsø ended with an extraordinary and widely reported maritime incident: a U.S. Navy Virginia-class attack submarine became entangled in commercial fishing gear, dragging the nets several nautical miles before the entanglement was cut loose by an escorting vessel. The episode drew immediate attention not only for the improbable image of a nuclear-powered submarine snagged in fishing nets but also for the operational, safety and diplomatic questions it raised about submarine transits near civilian fishing grounds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. The account below synthesizes verified reporting, official statements, and local coverage to provide a comprehensive, factual news report of what happened, why it matters, and the wider context for U.S.–Norway naval activity in northern waters.

The Incident: What Happened and When

Local broadcasters and multiple international outlets reported that on or about 11–13 November 2024 a small Norwegian fishing vessel named Øygutt — crewed by young, local fishermen — was trawling for halibut off Sommarøya/Senja when they were notified by the Coast Guard via VHF radio that a large naval submarine had become entangled in their trawl gear. The fishermen had already hauled in a catch and set the nets again; shortly afterward, authorities informed them that a submarine’s propeller or appendage had fouled the net and had dragged the gear some distance before the nets were severed and lost.

Accounts specify the submarine as the USS Virginia, a 7,800-ton Virginia-class attack submarine, returning from Tromsø and being escorted by a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel at the time. The nets were reportedly dragged roughly two nautical miles (approximately 2.3 statute miles or ~3.7 kilometers) before a Coast Guard vessel cut them away; the trapped fishing gear — including the chain of the net and buoys — sank and was lost. The crew estimated equipment and catch losses in the tens of thousands of Norwegian kroner. U.S. Sixth Fleet spokespeople confirmed the incident but limited details while stating that no injuries occurred and that a claims process exists when U.S. operations cause civilian damage.

Eyewitnesses and Local Reporting

Harald Engen, captain of Øygutt and in his early twenties, spoke to NRK and local outlets describing his surprise. He recounted that he had “just emptied the nets and put them out again” and learned by radio that the nets had been taken by a submarine. He said such an event was unheard of in his community, adding that while other vessels occasionally sail over nets, a submarine doing so was unprecedented locally. Local coverage emphasized the fishermen’s equanimity — they were more bemused than angry — while also reporting their financial loss for gear and catch.

Norwegian outlets and regional observers also described the scene with photos and local context, noting that U.S. submarines have, in recent years, been more visible in fjord approaches and sheltered harbors near Tromsø as part of logistic arrangements that allow nuclear-powered U.S. submarines to use civilian ports for crew swaps and resupply. That presence led some local residents to recall prior debates and concern over visits by nuclear-powered vessels to civilian ports.

Official Responses and Immediate Follow-Up

The U.S. Sixth Fleet acknowledged the event via a spokesperson who confirmed that a U.S. naval sub was operating in the area and that the Navy was coordinating with Norwegian authorities to address the loss and damage. The spokesman declined to offer the vessel name in some statements but later reporting and embassy confirmations identified the boat as USS Virginia. The fleet noted that no personnel were injured and indicated the Navy would address claims for damage when the U.S. is responsible for civilian equipment loss. The Norwegian Coast Guard confirmed its involvement in assisting to remove the entanglement.

Norwegian defense and civilian authorities subsequently handled compensation claims. Later Norwegian coverage indicated official redress was paid to the fisherman for the lost gear and catch; contemporary local reporting supplied figures for compensation amounts and described the authorities’ assessments. Such follow-through — paying claims and confirming the escorting coast guard’s role — helped defuse local tensions and underscored existing mechanisms for civilian damage claims.

Technical and Safety Considerations

From a maritime-safety perspective, the incident underscores several technical realities about submarines, surface trawls and navigation: submarines transiting at periscope depth or while surfacing can be vulnerable to entanglement with fishing gear, particularly in areas with active commercial fishing and where net buoys may be harder to spot due to sea state. Modern submarines are built to operate submerged to avoid surface traffic, but when they are near the surface — whether to transit, resupply, or perform other operations — their appendages, rudders and propellers can present entanglement risk if they pass through active trawl fields. In this case, the submarine’s propeller reportedly became fouled with the netting, leading to the extended tow of gear until the nets were cut away.

Maritime-incident analysts point out that entanglements between fishing gear and large naval vessels are not unheard of globally; historical incidents include surface ships and smaller naval craft drawing nets or becoming entangled. The relative rarity of a submarine net entanglement — particularly involving a nuclear-powered attack submarine in coastal waters — makes this episode novel, but it also reinforces established practices that navies and civilian maritime authorities use to deconflict operations: designated transit corridors, NOTAMs (notices to mariners), liaison with fisheries, and naval escorts when operating near fishing grounds. The presence of an escorting Coast Guard vessel in this case both enabled a rapid response to free the submarine and reflected the routine coordination meant to prevent, and respond to, such incidents.

Geopolitical Context: Why U.S. Submarines Are in Northern Norwegian Waters

U.S.–Norway maritime cooperation has deepened in recent years amid broader NATO activity and strategic competition in the High North. Norway permitted nuclear-powered U.S. submarines to call at civilian harbors near Tromsø for logistics and crew rotations starting in 2021, part of closer defense ties and practical solutions for operating far-north. These movements have been framed by officials as routine logistical stops to support allied operations, though they have occasionally triggered local concern and public debate about nuclear vessels using civilian ports. The regional security environment — including increased Russian naval activity in the Barents Sea and Northern Fleet deployments — has reinforced the operational tempo of NATO allies in adjacent waters. The submarine incident hence occurred against this background of heightened activity and public attention.

Analysts note that northern Norwegian waters are productive fishing grounds and frequently traversed by local fishers, making coordination essential. The presence of allied naval units transiting or operating close to shore highlights the need for continual liaison between defense forces and fishing communities to prevent accidental encounters that could risk people, gear, or classified movements.

Local Impact: Economic and Human Dimensions

For the small crew of Øygutt, the episode was not only a media sensation but a concrete economic loss. Contemporary reporting supplied estimates for lost net gear and catch value, and later updates indicated compensation payments handled by Norwegian authorities and defense institutions. Beyond direct monetary loss, fishermen described the emotional shock of learning that a vessel of the submarine’s scale had interacted with their nets — a reminder of the asymmetric risk faced by tiny coastal craft when larger military assets transit nearby. Local commentary mixed relief (no injuries) with calls for careful coordination to prevent recurrence.

Community reaction ranged from light-hearted storytelling and local pub anecdotes to sober reflections about safety. Fishing communities emphasized that while collisions between surface vessels and fishing gear are a known hazard, the scale of a submarine dragging nets posed unique — if fortunately non-catastrophic — risk. The ready cooperation between the Coast Guard and Navy, and the subsequent compensation, helped mitigate immediate community tensions.

Wider Lessons: Maritime Coordination and Best Practices

This incident highlights a set of practical lessons and best practices that maritime authorities, navies, and fishing communities emphasize after such events:

• Advance notification and notices to mariners: When naval ships will transit near fishing areas, timely notices and marine warnings reduce accidental encounters. These notices allow fishers to avoid placing gear in known transit corridors.
• Clear separation of civilian and military operations: Where feasible, designating exclusive transit lanes or time windows for military movements can reduce overlap with commercial fishing activity.
• Active liaison channels: Direct radio contact, coast guard escorts, and onshore liaison officers help coordinate movements in real time when operations converge near shore.
• Rapid incident response: Coast guard availability and trained crews to cut entanglements or assist small craft are critical for safety and damage mitigation.
• Compensation and claims processes: Predefined mechanisms to recompense civilian losses when military operations inadvertently damage private property help preserve relations and deliver timely redress.
• Community engagement: Naval and defense transparency with local communities about schedules and safety measures builds public trust and reduces alarm when unusual movements occur.

Each of these steps reflects standard maritime risk-reduction approaches, and the rapid handling of this event serves as an example of those mechanisms operating effectively.

Comparisons with Past Incidents and Historical Precedent

While this event attracted global attention for its surprising optics, maritime history includes prior episodes in which submarines, surface warships, or commercial vessels entangled fishing gear or collided with trawlers. Those past incidents underline the recurring friction between intensive fishing activities and larger transiting vessels in constrained coastal waters. Maritime safety organizations continuously study such collisions to refine guidance, navigational notices and training for both fishing communities and naval operators. In comparison, the Øygutt incident stands out for involving a modern, nuclear-powered attack submarine, but its resolution — no injuries, quick cutting of the net, and compensation — aligns with established maritime incident handling practices.

What Investigations Tend to Examine

Post-incident investigations into similar events typically examine navigation records, radio communications, AIS (Automatic Identification System) traces where available, and local fishing logs to reconstruct the sequence that led to the entanglement. For military vessels, security considerations can limit the public release of precise movement logs; nonetheless, internal reviews focus on whether standard protocols — such as avoiding known fishing grounds, issuing notices, or maintaining safe passing distances — were followed. Where negligence or procedural breaches are found, authorities may adjust procedures to avoid recurrence. While some details of this specific incident remain operationally sensitive, the publicly available facts indicate the enlistment of standard incident response procedures and later compensation to the fisherman.

Concluding Assessment

The episode of the U.S. submarine becoming entangled in Norwegian fishing nets is a rare but instructive maritime event. It combined human interest — a small local crew unexpectedly “catching” a state-of-the-art naval submarine — with practical implications about the coexistence of military and civilian activities in sensitive northern waters. Verified reports make clear that the submarine was operating near Tromsø, that the Norwegian Coast Guard assisted to free the vessel, that no injuries occurred, and that compensation mechanisms were invoked to cover the fishermen’s losses. The incident underscores the importance of continuous coordination, timely maritime advisories, and clear redress procedures whenever military operations approach busy commercial fishing grounds. Moving forward, authorities on all sides are likely to review risk-mitigation measures to further reduce the small but real chance of similarly hazardous encounters.

Key Takeaways

At the human level, the incident became a local story that highlighted fishermen’s vulnerability and resilience; at the operational level, it served as a reminder of the need for deconfliction where naval and civilian maritime activities intersect; and at the diplomatic level, it reinforced that allied navies and host-nation authorities must maintain strong liaison to preserve safety and public confidence when strategic operations occur in peacetime near civilian communities. The swift response by the Coast Guard and the subsequent compensation to the affected fishermen demonstrate that established procedures for handling civilian damage connected to military activity functioned in practice.

Conclusion

The unusual November 2024 incident in Norway — a commercial fishing net fouled by the USS Virginia and dragged offshore — was resolved without physical harm and with compensation to the affected fishermen, but it remains a potent example of the friction that can arise where military presence intersects with traditional coastal livelihoods. Verified reporting from local and international outlets, corroborated by statements from coast guard and U.S. naval spokespeople, provides a consistent factual record: the submarine was entangled, the coast guard intervened, and damage claims were pursued and addressed. The event stands as a cautionary case prompting continued attention to maritime coordination, advance notice to seafarers, and transparent incident handling that protects civilian communities while enabling essential allied naval operations in northern waters.