They probably rigged it to remove some of the screening ships. Probably trying to justify eliminating more ships from the fleet.
I also think, being a multi-national exercise, some of the screening ships were probably ... French.
How many cases of Chardonnay would it take for the skipper of a French destroyer or frigate to “inadvertanly look in the wrong direction” so his good friend the submarine skipper could get a nifty picture of a US CVN taken by his periscope camera?
“Why Jacques, that is a lovely picture you took of the American port-avions. I can’t believe I only charged you a case of the ‘74 for it!”
“Merci Jean-Claude! Oui, you should have held out for the ‘68. Its a much better vintage!”