Cryptic article about submarines and pirate flags

[canetoad]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/09/13/why-did-one-of-the-u-s-navys-most-advanced-subs-return-to-port-with-a-pirate-flag/

Why did one of the U.S. Navy’s most advanced subs return to port with a pirate flag?

An image posted to a Pentagon media site and tweeted by Scottish journalist Ian Keddie shows the USS Jimmy Carter, a Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarine, returning to her home port in Washington Tuesday flying the American flag alongside the unmistakable pirate skull and crossed bones, known as the Jolly Roger.

<snip interesting history of submarines flying the jolly roger>

So why did a U.S. submarine return home observing an undoubtedly British tradition? Much is unclear. U.S. submarine activity is rarely discussed by the Pentagon, and the vessels operate in almost complete secrecy. While it’s unlikely that the Carter torpedoed an enemy ship or fired one of its cruise missiles, the flag could represent the success of a more covert mission. The Carter can insert commandos, deploy unmanned submersible vehicles, and probably splice undersea cables all while using specially outfitted thrusters to almost hover off the seafloor. One of the Seawolf class’s namesake subs participated in the Cold War-era operation Ivy Bells, in which U.S. submarines tapped Soviet underwater communication lines.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. "Loose lips sink ships."

Why say anything?

[canetoad]

2. I don't think anyone did

The ship was spotted by a Scottish defence journalist in Canada. At least that's my reading of the tweets. The journo only doing his job, the rest of the speculation is just that - speculation.

Link to tweet