Reports: Navy's No. 2 officer in command of super-secret attack submarine is relieved of duty
Navy's No. 2 officer in command of USS Jimmy Carter attack submarine has been relieved of duty.
A top officer on the super-secret attack submarine USS Jimmy Carter was relieved of duty last week due to the Navy's "loss of confidence in his personal judgment," a report said.
Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Cebik, the former executive officer of the Seawolf-class submarine, has been reassigned to another squadron, Stars and Stripes reported.
A Navy statement last week said questions “have arisen” over Cebik’s personal conduct.
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Cebik was called an “incredible asset” by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., during his promotion ceremony in 2016. The Navy Times reported that Cebik reported to the Jimmy Carter on April 30, 2018.
Rep. Joe Courtney and Lt. Jonathan Cebik at Cebik's promotion ceremony. (U.S. House of Representatives)
The Navy Times reported that its attempts to reach Cebik for comment were unsuccessful. He is one of several leaders in the Navy to be fired or reassigned last week. The reassignments are not considered unusual, a Navy contractor told the Washington Examiner.
"They happen every year, and they tend to happen in little cluster groups. I can't explain that. I don't think anyone can," Bryan McGrath, the contractor, said.
Cebik's removal comes as China continues to extend its reach into the South China Sea; video emerged of Russia launching a Sineva type intercontinental nuclear-capable missile from near the Arctic Circle; and reports that North Korea is building its own submarine.
The USS Jimmy Carter, whose home port is in Bangor, Wash., is considered to be one of the most secretive and fierce in the U.S.’s enviable fleet. Reports said the submarine may be the most advanced and had modifications that turned it into the “F-22” of the sea.
Despite its secrecy, the submarine made headlines in 2017, when it returned to port in Washington state flying a Jolly Roger.
The Washington Post reported at the time that the 450-foot-long submarine is specifically designed to conduct covert sea operations. The crew’s decision to fly the flag — a skull and crossbones — could have represented a successful covert operation.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Mark Esper reportedly toured the Navy's newest attack submarine, the USS South Dakota, on Tuesday in Groton, Conn.
He called the U.S. fleet "well-built machines of war."
"We have to maintain that overmatch, and that means we have to continue to grow the fleet and build capabilities into each version," Esper he said, according to Task and Purpose.
Fox News contacted the Navy via email for comment but has not received a response.
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