Breaking News: US’s Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Collides With a Merchant Vessel in the Mediterranean Sea
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier collided with a merchant vessel near Egypt, the U.S. military said on Thursday, though the nuclear-powered carrier was stable and there were no injuries.
“MEDITERRANEAN SEA – The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, Feb. 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea,” reported U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs.
The United States navy currently has 11 aircraft carriers and any damage requiring one of them to be sidelined could put the Navy in a tight corner.
In a statement, the U.S. Navy said the carrier Harry Truman collided with the Besiktas-M late Wednesday night while operating near Port Said in Egypt.
“The collision did not endanger the Harry S. Truman as there are no reports of flooding or injuries. The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition,” the Navy added.
Truman‘s propulsion plants are unaffected. The collision is under investigation with no more information immediately available.
Even though collisions involving U.S. Navy vessels are extremely rare, two warships in the Asia-Pacific were involved in crashes in 2017. The accidents, in which 17 sailors were killed, raised questions about Navy training and the pace of operations, prompted a Congressional hearing and the removal of a number of officers.
At 1,096-feet (333 metres), USS Harry S. Truman is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall – a city on the water for its 5,000-member crew.
The 4.5-acre flight deck can support 90 aircraft, including F/A-18F Super Hornet striker jets. Missiles are carried onto parked jets and sailors run on treadmills in the hangar.
