ARA San Juan: The Submarine That Disappeared | Netflix examines the mystery of the Argentinian vessel

But Netflix is set to ask the question “What happened” to the vessel in their new eight-part series, “Ara San Juan: The Submarine that Disappeared” this week, as cameras submerge into the depths of the South Atlantic off the coast of Argentina to observe the wreckage and discover what indeed happened on that fateful day in 2017.

The vessel, which weighed 2,336 tonnes and measured 67.30 metres in length, commenced service on 18th November 1985, but its true capabilities were demonstrated in 1994. During a military exercise with the US Navy, the San Juan managed to avoid detection by the United States anti-submarine forces for the entire duration of the war game. It penetrated the destroyer defence and succeeded in "sinking" the command ship USS Mount Whitney.

But 13 years later, the San Juan had not been heard from since 15 November 2017 when the vessel was close to the coast of the San Jorge Gulf on its way to Mar del Plata from Ushuaia following a military exercise and a search and rescue operation had been launched in the same area.

On November 16, 2018, the wreckage of ARA San Juan was discovered at a depth of 907 meters (2,976 feet) and nearly 270 nautical miles (500 km; 310 mi) from Comodoro Rivadavia by a remote submersible operated by the Norwegian ship Seabed Constructor, which is owned by Ocean Infinity, a private maritime company hired by the Argentine government. The discovery was made close to the seismic anomaly that was previously reported by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

But what led to the sudden disappearance and the destruction of the ARA San Juan? You can either wait for the docuseries to begin on Netflix this week, or take a look below to see if there are some comparisons between the San Juan and another ill-fated vessel of recent years, the Titan Submersible.

Are there any similarities between the ARA San Juan and the Titan Submersible?

Though there is a world of difference between both vessels, with one being for military action and the other for “luxury” cruises to check out the Titanic, there are some similarities that befell the fate of both the ARA San Juan and the Titan Submersible. Spoilers ahead for those wanting to watch the docuseries on Netflix.

Both instances involved a sudden and catastrophic implosion of the vessel's hull, leading to its sinking. In both cases, acoustic detection systems picked up signals consistent with an implosion shortly after the vessels were submerged.

However, there are also some differences. In the case of the San Juan submarine, the implosion occurred while it was submerged deep underwater, likely due to pressure-related factors. On the other hand, the Titan Submersible was designed for deep-sea exploration and had descended to significant depths when the implosion occurred. 

Additionally, while there was speculation that the passengers aboard the Titan Submersible may have been aware of an impending emergency due to an early warning system, simulations suggested that the implosion would have been too rapid for them to react, resulting in immediate death without pain or warning.

When is “ARA San Juan: The Submarine That Disappeared” arriving on Netflix?

“ARA San Juan: The Submarine That Disappeared” arrives on Netflix in the United Kingdom on March 7 2024.