That part seems odd from the article. If they were not classified, seems the FOIA request would have had an easier time getting them released... or they would have been released already. The Navy generates enough paperwork that it's not reasonable to expect all unclassified documents to be released... but these seem to have been a little more closely guarded than that. They are releasing them in batches after they are reviewed too - which is usually part of a declassification process.
I'd wager they are being unclassified as part of the release here.
> The requested documents – more than 50 years old – should be unclassified and releasable by now under federal declassification rules
...
> “The plaintiff believes this document review is overly complex,” Eatinger said during the hearing. “When we filed this case, the records were in an automatic 50-year review project. We were told it would be complete in May 2019.”
these are (or should be) formerly classified documents. The Navy seems to be dragging its feet with the mandatory declassification review. As Eatinger said, it is well past time that the review should have completed and de- or re-classified as appropriate.
Eh. betting on incompetence over malignance is easy money. Could this be a conspiracy? Sure thing. Subs do all kinds of very secretive things, and select few subs have singular missions of international importance. More likely two or three quality assurance & design failures occured and american sailors died.
